MTN Nigeria and Airtel Boost Mobile Subscriptions Over 200M

As of September 2026, Nigeria's active mobile telecommunications subscriptions reached 200.34 million, an increase from 197.42 million in August, marking a recovery in the telecom market after the Federal Government's National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM verification exercise in 2024. This exercise had disconnected approximately 64.3 million lines, significantly impacting operators like Globacom and T2 (formerly 9mobile).

The growth of about 2.92 million connections in September was primarily attributed to MTN Nigeria, which holds approximately 104.6 million active subscriptions (52.3% market share), and Airtel, with about 68 million connections (34% market share). Globacom accounted for approximately 23.8 million subscriptions (11.89%), while T2 had around 3.6 million active connections (less than 2%).

Additionally, the telecommunications market saw improvements in internet subscriptions, with active internet subscriptions rising to approximately 160.9 million in September, driven by mobile internet growth.