Mobile market rebounds to highest level since 2024 – NCC

Nigeria's mobile telecommunications market has demonstrated a significant recovery, reaching its highest subscriber level in over two years. In May, the total number of active subscriptions across the country's four major operators climbed to 189.4 million. This figure marks the strongest point since April 2024, when subscriber numbers stood at 216.6 million before a period of decline.

The decline was primarily triggered by regulatory actions aimed at purging inactive and improperly registered SIM cards. The current recovery is largely attributed to growth from leading operators, with MTN Nigeria maintaining its dominant market position. As of May, MTN Nigeria commanded 96.9 million active subscriptions, representing 51.19% of the total market share.

Airtel Nigeria followed as the second-largest operator with 65.4 million active subscriptions (34.55% market share). Globacom secured the third position with 23.4 million subscriptions (12.39%), while T2, formerly 9mobile, remained the smallest operator with 3.5 million subscriptions.

Despite the overall industry rebound, competition remains uneven. T2, which rebranded a year ago, has struggled to significantly grow its customer base, remaining in the three million subscriber range since September 2025. The operator faces persistent challenges, including network investment pressures and customer retention issues, even after a recent infrastructure-sharing agreement with MTN.

Industry analysts note that the sustained growth of Nigeria's digital economy, indicated by mobile subscription numbers, will depend on operators' ability to enhance service quality, expand coverage, and manage rising operational costs, as they continue to invest in network expansion and digital services.