New data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that active telephone subscriptions climbed to 173.54 million in September, from 171.57 million in August.
Internet subscriptions on GSM networks also rose slightly to 140.36 million, while overall teledensity increased to 80.05 per cent, the report showed.
MTN Nigeria remained the country’s largest mobile operator with 90.33 million subscribers, accounting for 52.1 per cent of the total market share. Airtel Nigeria followed with 58.47 million users (33.7 per cent), and Globacom served 21.39 million (12.3 per cent). T2 Mobile (formerly 9mobile) recorded 3.11 million active lines, representing 1.8 per cent of the market, a slight improvement from the previous month.
Broadband penetration reached a new record of 49.34 per cent in September, up from 48.81 per cent in August, reflecting growing demand for high-speed internet across urban and semi-urban areas. 4G networks accounted for 51.6 per cent of broadband connections, while 5G adoption climbed to 3.4 per cent, signalling gradual uptake since the technology’s commercial rollout in 2022.
Despite more users coming online, total data traffic fell slightly to 1,147,133 terabytes in September, compared with 1,152,347 terabytes in August. The drop may point to slower economic activity and more cautious consumer spending as households adjust to higher living costs.
The rise in broadband access coincides with the Federal Government’s plan to lay 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable across the country. Once completed, the initiative will expand Nigeria’s fibre network from about 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres, linking cities, rural communities, schools, hospitals, and government offices.
The multi-million-dollar project, structured as a public-private partnership, aims to reduce internet costs by up to 60 per cent and improve reliability through open access for multiple service providers.
Officials say the expanded network will support the country’s target of 70 per cent broadband penetration and strengthen digital inclusion under the National Broadband Plan (2020–2025).
