Nigeria Telecom Subscriptions Reach 179.64m – NCC Data 

Nigeria’s telecom industry closed December 2025 with 179.64 million active subscriptions and teledensity of 82.87 percent, based on industry figures released by the Nigerian Communications Commission. 

More lines, more internet users, and more broadband connections mean Nigerians are leaning harder on mobile networks for work, business, and daily life. 

At the same time, the networks must carry heavier traffic with rising operating costs and infrastructure risks.

What the NCC numbers are saying

The December data shows Nigeria moved from 177.43 million subscriptions in November to 179.64 million in December. Teledensity rose from 81.84 percent to 82.87 percent in the same period.

Internet subscriptions also climbed to 148.17 million. Broadband subscriptions rose to 112.67 million, pushing broadband penetration to 51.97 percent. 

The biggest signal is usage. Total data consumption in December was approximately 1.39 million terabytes, up from 1.24 million terabytes in November. That means growth is not only about new SIMs. It is also about people using more data than before.

Who is carrying the load?

Market share is still concentrated. The NCC market breakdown reported MTN Nigeria as the largest operator with about 93.06 million subscribers, followed by Airtel Nigeria with about 60.89 million, and Globacom with about 22.23 million. The smallest slice was held by T2 formerly 9mobile, with about 3.23 million. 

The reported split shows:

• MTN Nigeria: 81.31m subscribers (45.25%)
  
• Airtel Nigeria: 65.35m (36.37%)
  
• Globacom: 20.96m (11.67%)
  
• 9mobile: 3.44m (1.91%)
  
• Smile Communications: 52,700 (0.03%) 

What it means for the digital economy

This kind of growth is usually good for the economy. More broadband and more internet users support digital payments, online trade, remote work, online learning, and small business marketing. 

But growth brings strain. As data traffic rises, networks need more capacity, more fibre, more power, and better protection for infrastructure. Energy costs for base stations, fibre deployment delays, and damage or theft of telecom assets become bigger problems when usage keeps climbing. 

The real test is reliability

The opportunity is clear. Demand is rising and broadband is expanding. The credibility test is whether the networks can scale without constant slow speeds, dropped calls, and outages.

If teledensity and broadband penetration continue to rise while service quality improves, Nigeria’s digital economy strengthens. If the numbers rise but reliability remains weak, growth will come with greater customer frustration and higher business costs.