MTN Dominates as Active Telephone Users in Nigeria Plummet to 157mn
By Patience Ikpeme
Nigeria’s active telephone subscriber base has witnessed a significant decline, dropping to 157 million in October 2024, according to the latest data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This sharp decrease comes after a peak of 219.97 million subscribers in February 2024, representing a loss of over 60 million active lines. Despite this overall downturn, MTN has solidified its position as the dominant player in the Nigerian telecommunications market.
The NCC data reveals that MTN boasts a commanding 51.09% market share with 80.38 million subscribers as of October 2024. This figure underscores MTN’s continued strength in the Nigerian market, even amidst the industry-wide contraction.
The substantial drop in active subscriptions, a decrease of 60.79 million from the 218.4 million recorded in January 2024, has been primarily attributed to the mandatory National Identification Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) linkage exercise, which concluded on September 14, 2024. The exercise aimed to enhance security and improve data integrity within the telecommunications sector. Consequently, numerous subscribers whose SIM cards could not be linked to verifiable NINs were deactivated.
The NCC also cited the rectification of discrepancies in subscriber numbers by mobile network operators as a contributing factor to the decline. This suggests that previous figures may have included inactive or duplicated subscriptions, which have now been corrected.
While MTN leads the market, other major players also hold significant shares. Airtel trails MTN with 54.446 million active subscribers, representing 34.61% of the market. Glo follows with 19.1 million subscribers (12.15% market share), and 9mobile holds 3.39 million subscribers, accounting for 2.15% of the market.
The impact of the NIN-SIM linkage exercise is further reflected in Nigeria’s teledensity, which has fallen to 72.7% in October 2024 from 103.66% in December 2023. Teledensity, calculated using the National Population Commission’s figure of 216 million, represents the percentage of Nigerians with active telephone lines. The significant drop indicates a substantial decrease in mobile phone penetration across the country.
The NCC’s data provides a snapshot of the evolving landscape of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, highlighting the impact of regulatory initiatives and market dynamics. The decline in subscriber numbers emphasizes the importance of accurate data management and the effectiveness of regulatory measures in shaping the industry.
