Nigeria now has 175 million telecom subscribers, NCC data says

The Nigerian telecommunications industry saw steady subscriber growth in Q3 2025. According to new data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, active telephone subscriptions climbed to 175.08 million in October 2025. This is 1.5 million more subscribers from the 173.54 million it had in September and from 171.57 million in August.

The data also showed that teledensity increased to 80.87 within the same period, up from 80.05 per cent in September 2025. Teledensity refers to the number of active telephone connections per one hundred inhabitants living within an area. It is expressed using a percentage figure.

Internet connections via mobile network operators also climbed by about 8 per cent month-on-month to 142.0 million, pushing Nigeria’s internet penetration rate to 49.89 per cent, up slightly from 49.34 per cent in August.

The growth in total subscribers was largely driven by gains across all major mobile network operators.

MTN Nigeria (MTNN) added over 700,000 new telecoms subscribers, bringing its total users to 91,07 million, a consistent rise as in September. However, its market share dipped slightly to about 52 per cent from 52.1 per cent in the previous month.

Airtel Nigeria followed with nearly 569,000 new subscribers, raising its total to 59.03 million. Its market share declined marginally by 15 basis points to 33 per cent. Globacom added 442,000 subscribers, which lifted its total to 21.8 million and its market share to 12 per cent. Each network showed a consistent growth month-on-month.

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The overall growth signals an impressive return on investment for industry players, who have survived a sustained period of losses owing to drastic FX regime change by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2023.

High operating costs are another critical challenge. In addition, network deployment requires dense fibre optic backhaul, expensive tower upgrades, and massive power consumption.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), industry-wide expenses surged by 50.92% in 2023 alone. This was driven by pricier diesel, rising security costs, and expensive imported equipment. The naira’s depreciation by over 220% between 2021 and 2024 has only deepened the financial strain.

This has also been significantly aggravated by the cost of vandalism.

Fibre cut repairs: Image Copyright: James Arthur Photography

Bloomberg reports that repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables cost Nigerian telecom players about N27bn ($23m) in 2023. MTN alone reported that it relocated 2,500 kilometres (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fibre cables between 2022 and 2023, spending over N11bn.

That sum is sufficient to build over 870 kilometres of new fibre lines in uncovered areas.

A report by FBNQuest, in November, indicates that the telecommunication sector is on track for sustained revenue growth, driven by higher tariffs and steady demand for data services. It noted that the 50 per cent increase in voice and data tariffs implemented in the first quarter of 2025 will bolster operator revenues, even as competition intensifies among the four main players.