In a recent report by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria’s telecom industry recorded a rebound in subscriber growth, pushing the total number of active mobile lines to 173.54 million in September 2025.
After a dip during mid-2025 when active subscriptions fell from 171.73 million in June to 169.33 million in July, the sector regained momentum in August and September. By September, teledensity, the ratio of active phone connections per 100 inhabitants, rose to 80.05%.
Market dominance remains concentrated among four major operators. MTN Nigeria leads with about 90.34 million users (≈ 52.1% market share), followed by Airtel Nigeria with 58.47 million (≈ 33.7%), Globacom at 21.39 million (≈ 12.3%), and T2 Mobile (formerly 9mobile) trailing with 3.11 million users (≈ 1.8%).
After the earlier purge of unverified SIMs linked to the National Identification Number (NIN), which led to a sharp decline in active subscriptions; the telecoms sector appears to be stabilising and regaining lost ground.
This surge in active mobile connections helps deepen digital inclusion, boosting broadband and data-driven services. As connectivity expands and more Nigerians gain access to the internet, demand for digital finance, e-commerce, remote work and other tech-enabled economic activities grows, contributing significantly to GDP growth and job creation in Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
