Emma Okonji

After sliding from 171.73 million subscriptions in June this year to 169.33 million subscriptions in July, Nigerian telecoms’ subscriber base maintained a steady growth rate in the months of August and September 2025, to reach 173.54 million subscriptions in September 2025, according to the latest statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The statistics, which THISDAY obtained from the official w

ebsite of NCC, showed that teledensity, which is the number of active telephone connections per one hundred inhabitants living within an area and is expressed as a percentage figure, also increased within the same period, to reach 80.05 per cent in September 2025.

The statistics also showed the percentage market share of the four major telecoms operators in the country, where MTN is leading with 90.336 million subscribers, with a market share of 52.12 per cent, followed by Airtel with 58.470 million subscribers, with a market share of 33.74 per cent, and Globacom with 21.391 million subscribers with a market share of 12.34 per cent. T2, the last entrant into Nigeria’s GSM market, which recently rebranded from 9mobile, has 3.114 million subscribers with a market share of 1.8 per cent.

From the statistics, telecoms’ subscriptions had reached 169,318,076 with a teledensity of 78.10 per cent in January 2025, but it increased to 170,892,944 subscriptions with an increased teledensity of 78.83 per cent in February 2025. Subscriptions further increased to 172,708,410 with an increased teledensity of 79.67 per cent in March 2025. The increase continued in April 2025, with a subscription base of 172,948,309 and a teledensity of 79.78 per cent, before sliding slightly in May 2025 to 172,671,934 subscriptions, with a decreased teledensity of 79.65 per cent.

According to NCC statistics, there is a further drop in telecoms’ subscriptions in the month of June 2025 to 171,730,064 subscriptions, with a decrease in teledensity to 79.22 per cent. Subscriptions further dipped in the month of July 2025 to 169,328,686 subscriptions, with a further decrease in teledensity to 78.11 per cent. Telecoms’ subscriptions however picked up again and maintained a steady growth in the months of August and September 2025, to reach 171,566,422 subscriptions with an increased teledensity of 79.14 per cent in August 2025, and 173,541,983 subscriptions with an increased teledensity of 80.05 per cent in September 2025 respectively.

For the market share, which describes the number of active subscribers for telephony services on each of the licensed service providers utilising different technologies including Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and the landline (Fixed Wireless and Fixed Wired), MTN leads other network operators with a 90,336,649 subscribers and a market share of 52.12 per cent, making it the largest telecoms operator in Nigeria by subscriptions, as at September 2025.

Next to MTN, is Airtel, with telecoms subscriber base of 58,470,480 and a market share of 33.74 per cent, as at September 2025, followed by Globacom, with a subscriber base of 21,391,786 and a market share of 12.34 per cent, as at September 2025. T2 followed behind with a subscriber base of 3,114,222 and a teledensity of 1.8 per cent as at September 2025.

Commenting on the steady growth of telecoms subscriptions in two consecutive months, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Gbenga Adebayo, said there would be more growth in the subsequent months, giving the ongoing investments that are been carried out by telecoms operators to further expand their networks.