Nigeria’s active mobile subscriptions crossed the 200 million threshold for the first time since April 2024, according to industry data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). At the end of September 2026, the total number of active connections stood at 200,102,038, representing an increase of approximately 3 million from the 197.1 million recorded in August. This milestone signals a robust recovery for the telecommunications sector after a severe contraction triggered by regulatory enforcement actions the previous year.
The surge in subscriber numbers was primarily driven by market leader MTN Nigeria, which added over 2 million new connections during the month. MTN’s active database reached 104.6 million, securing a 52.3% share of the national market. Airtel Nigeria also contributed significantly to the growth, recording 618,660 new subscriptions to bring its total to 68 million, which accounts for 34% of the market. Globacom saw a marginal rise, growing from 23.5 million to 23.8 million subscribers, while T2 remained static at 3.6 million active lines despite recent roaming agreements with MTN.
This current growth trajectory contrasts sharply with the landscape of early 2024. Prior to the NCC’s strict enforcement of the National Identification Number (NIN) and SIM card linkage, the four major GSM operators held a combined total of 219 million active subscriptions in April 2024. The verification exercise, aimed at eliminating unregistered lines, resulted in the removal of 64.3 million subscriptions. Globacom and 9mobile were the hardest hit, with Globacom losing 43 million lines and 9mobile shedding approximately 8 million, leaving the industry with just 154.6 million active subscriptions by September 2024.
Internet connectivity metrics also expanded during this period. Active internet subscriptions across mobile, fixed, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks rose to 160.9 million in September. Mobile internet subscriptions jumped from 158 million in August to 160.4 million, while fixed wireless connections increased from 227,910 to 248,651. Conversely, VoIP subscriptions declined slightly to 223,843. However, Nairametrics noted that Internet Service Provider (ISP) data has not been updated for September, leaving a gap in the full connectivity picture. The recovery indicates that the market has successfully replenished the subscriber base lost during the regulatory crackdown, with MTN and Airtel consolidating their dominance over the remaining operators.