Nigeria’s active mobile telecommunications subscriptions have climbed above 200 million for the first time in more than two years, signalling a gradual recovery in the country’s telecoms market following the massive disconnection of unverified SIM cards in 2024.
Latest industry data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) show that active mobile subscriptions across MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and T2 stood at 200,102,038 at the end of September 2026.
The figure represents an increase of approximately three million connections from the 197.1 million recorded in August, taking the industry back above the 200 million threshold for the first time since April 2024.
The latest growth marks a significant recovery from the disruption caused by the Federal Government’s enforcement of the National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM linkage policy, which triggered the removal of millions of improperly registered or unverified lines from telecommunications networks.
Following the exercise, the industry’s subscriber database dropped sharply, with the number of active connections falling to 171.8 million in May 2024.
MTN strengthens market dominance
MTN Nigeria consolidated its position as the country’s largest telecommunications operator, adding more than two million active subscriptions in September to close the month with approximately 104.6 million connections.
The increase puts MTN’s market share at 52.3 per cent, meaning the operator now controls more than half of Nigeria’s active mobile subscriptions.
Its nearest competitor, Airtel Nigeria, recorded 618,660 additional subscriptions during the month, taking its customer base to approximately 68 million.
Airtel consequently retained its position as the second-largest operator, with a market share of about 34 per cent.
The two leading operators jointly account for more than 86 per cent of Nigeria’s active mobile connections, highlighting the substantial concentration of the market around MTN and Airtel.
Globacom, meanwhile, recorded a modest recovery, increasing its active subscriptions from 23.5 million in August to 23.8 million in September.
Despite the improvement, the indigenous operator remained a distant third, with approximately 11.89 per cent of the market.
For T2, formerly 9mobile, the recovery remains elusive. Its active subscriptions remained virtually unchanged at 3.6 million over the last three months, representing just 1.89 per cent of the market.
The figures suggest that the operator has yet to translate its recent national roaming arrangement with MTN into meaningful subscriber growth.
Internet subscriptions rise to 160.9 million
The NCC data also showed continued growth in Nigeria’s internet subscription base, which increased to 160.9 million in September from the previous month.
Mobile internet connections accounted for the overwhelming proportion of the increase, rising from approximately 158 million in August to 160.4 million in September.
Fixed wireless internet subscriptions also improved, increasing from 227,910 to 248,651 during the period.
However, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscriptions declined from 226,766 in August to 223,843 in September.
The September figures did not include updated subscriptions from Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
The increase in internet connections underscores the growing importance of mobile networks in providing Nigerians with access to digital services, online commerce, financial transactions, entertainment and other internet-based activities.
NIN-SIM enforcement reshaped telecoms market
Nigeria’s telecommunications industry experienced one of its most significant subscriber-base contractions in 2024 following the Federal Government’s enforcement of mandatory NIN-SIM verification.
The exercise resulted in the disconnection of approximately 64.3 million mobile lines that failed to meet the prescribed registration requirements.
The impact was particularly severe for Globacom and 9mobile, which recorded substantial reductions in their subscriber numbers.
Globacom, which had approximately 62.1 million active subscriptions in March 2024, saw its customer base shrink to 19.1 million by September, representing a loss of about 43 million connections.
Similarly, 9mobile’s subscriber base fell from 11.6 million in March 2024 to approximately 3.6 million by September, wiping out about eight million connections.
The exercise left the four GSM operators with a combined 154.6 million active subscriptions at the end of September 2024, compared with approximately 219 million recorded in April of that year.
The subsequent recovery to more than 200 million subscriptions represents a substantial rebuilding of the industry’s customer base after the regulatory intervention.
However, the latest figures also expose the widening competitive gap between the dominant operators and their smaller rivals, particularly as MTN and Airtel continue to capture the bulk of subscriber growth.
For the industry, the return to the 200 million mark is an encouraging indicator of market recovery. Sustaining that growth, however, will depend on operators’ ability to expand network capacity, improve service quality, invest in infrastructure and make telecommunications services more affordable to consumers.
