Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has shown remarkable resilience, rebounding from previous setbacks to achieve a significant milestone. As of January 2025, active mobile subscriptions have surged to 169.3 million, marking a substantial increase from the 164.9 million recorded in December 2024. This growth is primarily driven by the robust performance of major operators MTN and Airtel, which have expanded their subscriber bases during this period.
The sector’s recovery follows a challenging period where subscriptions plummeted due to the mass deactivation of unverified SIM cards in February 2024. This led to a sharp decline in subscriptions, which hit a low of 154.9 million in September 2024. However, the industry has gradually regained momentum, with MTN strengthening its market position to 51.7% and Airtel securing 34.1% of the market share.
This surge in subscriptions has also boosted Nigeria’s teledensity to 78.10%, up from 76.08% in December 2024. The sector’s growth shows its critical role in driving economic activity and digital transformation across the country.
With ambitious plans to increase broadband penetration to 70% by 2025 and a target for the telecom sector to contribute 25% to GDP, Nigeria’s telecommunications industry is poised for further expansion and innovation.
