Nigeria’s telecommunications sector has experienced a remarkable recovery, with active subscriptions reaching 169.3 million as of January 2025, up from 164.9 million in December 2024, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This surge follows a significant decline in September 2024, when the subscriber base dropped to 154.9 million, largely due to the deactivation of over 42 million SIM cards in February 2024 and a sector-wide rebasing. Despite this setback, the market has rebounded, propelled by the growth of major operators.
MTN and Airtel have been key drivers of this recovery. MTN’s subscriber base grew to 87.5 million in January, maintaining a dominant market share of 51.7%. Airtel also saw an increase, reaching 57.6 million subscribers, holding 34.1% of the market.
“The growth was driven by two network operators, MTN and Airtel,” said the NCC in its report. “This momentum has significantly boosted the country’s teledensity, which stands at 78.10% in January, up from 76.08% in December.”
Meanwhile, Globacom is showing signs of recovery, with its subscriber base rising slightly to 20.5 million, while 9mobile’s numbers continue to decline. In January 2025, the operator lost 6,716 subscribers through mobile number portability.
The NCC also reported an uptick in porting activities, with 8,708 porting actions recorded in January, a significant increase from December 2024’s 2,998 activities. MTN led the incoming porting numbers, gaining 5,551 subscribers.
Despite these gains, 9mobile’s decline remains stark. “The company’s stagnant subscriber base of 3.2 million underscores its struggle,” the NCC stated.
The telecom sector’s recovery reflects strong competition, with MTN and Airtel continuing to dominate the market as Nigeria’s mobile connectivity landscape evolves.