Nigeria’s telecommunications sector sustained its growth momentum in early 2026, with total active telephony subscriptions climbing to 182.23 million in January, according to the latest industry data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The new figure represents an increase of about 2.58 million subscriptions compared to 179.64 million recorded in December 2025, marking the strongest monthly growth in the sector over the past five months.
Industry statistics show that the steady rise in connectivity has pushed the country’s teledensity — the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants — to 84.06 percent in January 2026.
The figure reflects a consistent upward trend from 80.05 percent in September 2025, indicating expanding access to communication services across the country.
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The data further shows sustained growth in Nigeria’s telecom market in recent months. Active subscriptions increased from 173.54 million in September 2025 to 175.32 million in October, 177.43 million in November, 179.64 million in December and eventually 182.23 million in January 2026.
Mobile Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) services continued to dominate the sector, accounting for the overwhelming majority of active connections.
The NCC report indicates that GSM lines stood at about 150.9 million in January, while other segments such as fixed wired services, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Internet Service Providers contributed relatively smaller numbers.
Within the mobile market, MTN Nigeria retained its leadership position with 94.2 million subscribers, representing 51.78 percent of the total market share.
Airtel Nigeria followed with 62.04 million subscribers and a market share of 34.09 percent, while Globacom recorded 22.46 million users, accounting for 12.34 percent of the market.
Smaller operator T2 Mobile accounted for 3.26 million subscribers, representing about 1.79 percent of the market.
Combined, MTN and Airtel control nearly 86 percent of Nigeria’s mobile telecommunications market, underlining their dominant influence in an industry that has become central to the country’s digital infrastructure.
The NCC data also indicates a gradual shift toward faster network technologies. Fourth-generation (4G) services now account for 53.41 percent of total connections, up slightly from 52.95 percent in December, making it the most widely used network standard in the country.
Meanwhile, older technologies continue to decline. Second-generation (2G) connections dropped to 36.97 percent, while third-generation (3G) usage fell further to 5.67 percent as more subscribers migrate to faster networks.
Fifth-generation (5G) technology, although still at an early stage of adoption, expanded gradually to 3.94 percent of total connections, reflecting increasing investments by telecom operators in next-generation infrastructure.
Broadband adoption also improved, with 115.04 million active internet subscriptions recorded in January.
This pushed Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate to 53.07 percent, up from 51.97 percent in December.
Data consumption remained strong as well. Nigerians used approximately 1,385,536.04 terabytes of data in January, broadly stable compared with 1,386,238.23 terabytes recorded in December, but part of a broader upward trend driven by streaming services, social media, digital payments and cloud-based applications.
Despite intense competition among operators, mobile number portability activity remained relatively low during the period, with 1,468 transactions recorded in January.
MTN recorded the highest subscriber outflows with 740 ports, while Airtel gained the largest number of incoming subscribers with 494 net inflows.
Industry analysts say the continued growth in subscriptions, broadband penetration and data usage underscores the resilience of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector and its expanding role in supporting the country’s digital economy.
The sector remains a key driver of economic activity, enabling services such as digital finance, e-commerce, online education and government digital platforms as millions more Nigerians gain access to connectivity.
