Nigeria’s telecoms subscribers hit 177.4 million as penetration deepens

Nigeria’s telecoms subscriber base climbed to 177.4 million in November 2025, according to the latest industry data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), continuing a steady growth trend in the sector.

The data shows that the industry added about 2.1 million new subscribers in November, representing a 2.1 percent increase from the 175.3 million recorded in October. This marks the tenth month of subscriber growth in 2025, with July standing out as the only month that recorded a decline when numbers fell from 171.7 million in June to 169.3 million.

Market share figures indicate that MTN Nigeria remains the dominant player in the industry.
• MTN Nigeria leads with nearly 92 million subscribers, accounting for 51.89 percent of the market.
• Airtel Nigeria follows with 59.8 million subscribers and a 33.78 percent market share.
• Globacom controls 22.2 million subscribers, representing 12.54 percent.
• T2mobile, formerly 9mobile, trails with 3.2 million subscribers and a 1.8 percent share, as it continues efforts to recover lost ground.

Access to telecom services also improved during the period.

Teledensity rose to 81.84 percent in November from 80.87 percent in October, pointing to broader mobile penetration, increased infrastructure deployment, and gradual improvements in digital inclusion across the country.

Further expansion is expected following recent government intervention in the sector. The Federal Executive Council earlier approved the nationwide deployment of 4,000 new telecom towers to strengthen Nigeria’s broadband backbone. The project is expected to reduce network congestion, extend coverage to underserved communities, and support digital services across key sectors including finance, education, and agriculture.

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However, next-generation connectivity remains limited. NCC data shows that 5G adoption increased slightly from 3.49 percent in October to 3.60 percent in November. Overall growth in 5G usage has remained slow throughout 2025, indicating the need for more infrastructure investment to drive wider adoption.

In contrast, 4G technology continues to dominate Nigeria’s telecoms landscape, accounting for 51.99 percent of network usage. This is followed by 2G at 38.29 percent, while 3G continues to decline with a penetration rate of 6.13 percent.

The figures underline steady growth in subscriber numbers, while also highlighting the infrastructure gaps that still need to be addressed to support faster networks and deeper digital inclusion.