Nigeria’s telecommunications sector has rebounded significantly, demonstrating remarkable resilience after a period of decline. Active subscriptions surged to 169.3 million in January 2025, a considerable leap from the 164.9 million recorded in December 2024. This resurgence follows a challenging period in 2024, during which subscriptions plummeted to 154.9 million in September, primarily attributed to a mass deactivation of over 42 million SIM cards in February and a subsequent sector rebasing exercise. The recovery underscores the sector’s underlying strength and the increasing demand for mobile services in the country. The growth trajectory has been driven predominantly by two key players, MTN and Airtel, reflecting their sustained market dominance and strategic initiatives.
The revival of the telecommunications sector is further evident in the upward trend in Nigeria’s teledensity, which reached 78.10% in January 2025, a notable increase from 76.08% the previous month. Teledensity, a crucial metric indicating the penetration of active telephone connections within a population, showcases the expanding reach of mobile services and their growing integration into various aspects of Nigerian life. The recovery in subscriptions, coupled with the rising teledensity, signifies a positive outlook for the sector and its contribution to the broader Nigerian economy. This renewed growth is indicative of the sector’s ability to overcome regulatory challenges and adapt to evolving market dynamics.
MTN Nigeria has solidified its leading position in the market, expanding its subscriber base to 87.5 million in January 2025, representing a market share of 51.7%. This signifies a consistent upward trajectory for the operator, building on its already substantial subscriber base of 84.6 million in December 2024. Airtel, the second largest operator, also witnessed steady growth, reaching 57.6 million subscribers and securing a 34.1% market share, up from 56.6 million the previous month. The combined growth of these two major players underscores their competitive strength and their ability to capitalize on the expanding demand for mobile services.
Globacom, which experienced a setback in subscriber numbers earlier in 2024 due to a regulatory audit, has embarked on a path of recovery, gradually rebuilding its subscriber base. Its numbers rose from 20.1 million in December 2024 to 20.5 million in January 2025, demonstrating a positive, albeit slow, recovery. This resurgence indicates Globacom’s efforts to regain its footing in the market and compete effectively with the larger players. Conversely, 9mobile continued to struggle, experiencing a persistent decline in market share. Its subscriber base stagnated at 3.2 million for three consecutive months, a stark contrast to its peak performance in 2015 when it boasted 23.4 million subscribers and a 15.7% market share. This prolonged stagnation underscores the challenges faced by the operator in a highly competitive environment.
The dynamics of mobile number portability (MNP) further illuminate the competitive landscape within the Nigerian telecommunications sector. 9mobile experienced the largest outflow of subscribers through porting, with 6,716 customers switching to other networks in January 2025. This exodus highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the operator and the potential dissatisfaction among its customer base. In contrast, MTN benefited significantly from MNP, gaining 5,551 new subscribers, followed by Airtel with 2,414 and Globacom with 736. 9mobile only attracted a negligible seven incoming ported numbers, further emphasizing its struggles to retain and attract customers.
The overall level of porting activity increased significantly in January 2025 compared to December 2024. A total of 8,708 porting activities were recorded in January, a substantial increase from the 2,998 recorded in December, representing a surge of 5,710. This heightened activity suggests a more dynamic and competitive market, with consumers actively seeking better value and service offerings from different operators. The increased porting activity, coupled with the shifting market shares, signifies a constantly evolving telecommunications landscape in Nigeria, with operators vying for customer loyalty and market dominance.
