Nigeria’s telecommunications sector recorded a robust monthly rebound in November 2025, adding 2.1 million active voice subscriptions to reach a total of 177.4 million, according to the latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This 1.2 percent month-on-month increase, from 175.3 million in October, marks one of the strongest gains in 2025, underscoring a recovery from earlier regulatory-driven contractions and highlighting the enduring dominance of the country’s two largest operators: MTN Nigeria and Airtel’s local unit.
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The bulk of the new connections, approximately 1.67 million, came from MTN and Airtel combined. MTN, the market leader, added 857,594 subscribers to end November with 91.9 million lines, maintaining a commanding 51.9 percent share.
Airtel followed closely, gaining 809,550 new users to reach 59.8 million subscribers and a 33.8 percent market slice. Together, the duopoly controls over 85 percent of Nigeria’s mobile voice market, a concentration that has persisted despite competitive pressures and regulatory scrutiny.
Smaller players contributed modestly to the growth. Globacom, owned by billionaire Mike Adenuga, added 381,173 connections, bringing its total to 22.2 million (12.5 percent share), while T2 (formerly 9mobile) gained 56,668 to reach 3.2 million (1.8 percent).
Fixed-line services remained negligible, reinforcing Nigeria’s status as a overwhelmingly mobile-first market. This surge follows a turbulent year for the sector.
Active subscriptions dipped sharply mid-2025, to around 169 million in July, primarily due to the NCC’s aggressive enforcement of SIM-NIN linkage rules, which barred millions of unverified lines to enhance security and data accuracy. Earlier clean-ups in 2024 had already pruned inflated figures, causing teledensity (active lines per 100 inhabitants) to plummet from over 100 percent to the mid-70s.
The November rebound pushed teledensity back to 81.8 percent, based on a projected population of about 217 million, signaling renewed consumer confidence and operator aggressiveness in acquisitions.
Several factors likely fueled the duo’s performance. Aggressive promotional bundles, expanded 4G coverage, and seasonal demand ahead of the festive period played key roles.
MTN and Airtel have invested heavily in network densification, leveraging Nigeria’s young, tech-savvy demographic where mobile penetration drives e-commerce, fintech, and social connectivity.
Tariff adjustments approved earlier in 2025, allowing up to 50 percent hikes on voice and data, have also bolstered revenues, enabling reinvestment amid rising operational costs from forex volatility, diesel prices, and infrastructure vandalism.
Parallel trends in data underscore the shift toward internet-centric services. Internet subscriptions rose to 144.8 million in November, with broadband penetration crossing the symbolic 50 percent threshold at 50.6 percent (109.7 million high-speed connections). Nigerians consumed a staggering 1.24 million terabytes of data, equivalent to over a petabyte, edging up from October’s figure.
Yet, 5G adoption remains nascent at just 3.6 percent of connections, hampered by limited spectrum availability, high capex for rollout, and device affordability issues.
The growth is welcome news for an industry that contributes significantly to Nigeria’s economy, though recent GDP rebasing has tempered reported figures to around 9.2 percent in Q2 2025. Analysts view the MTN-Airtel led expansion as a vote of resilience, but warn of headwinds.
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The National Broadband Plan’s ambitious 70 percent penetration target by end-2025 now appears unattainable, with only marginal progress expected in December. Challenges like fiber cuts (30-40 daily incidents), multiple taxation, and right-of-way disputes continue to inflate costs and delay rural expansion.
For investors, the numbers reinforce MTN and Airtel’s stronghold. MTN Nigeria, listed on the local exchange, has seen its stock buoyed by subscriber metrics, while Airtel Africa benefits from pan-continental scale. Globacom’s steady gains suggest niche appeal in value offerings, but T2’s marginal growth highlights the barriers for smaller entrants in a capital-intensive market.
Overall, November’s 2.1 million additions signal stabilizing demand post-regulatory purge, with MTN and Airtel at the forefront of Nigeria’s digital push.
As the sector eyes 2026, sustained infrastructure investment and policy support will be crucial to translate voice gains into broader broadband inclusion and economic multipliers.
