The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reported a significant decline in the country’s internet subscriber base, with a drop of 24.5 million, or 15 per cent, in one year. According to the commission’s latest industry statistics, Nigeria’s internet subscribers reached 139.28 million in December 2024, down from 163.83 million in December 2023.
The statistics revealed that mobile (GSM) subscribers accounted for the bulk of the internet users, with 138.77 million of the total. The remaining subscribers were linked to fixed wired and VoIP services. The NCC also noted that while most telecom companies recorded an increase in internet subscriptions, 9mobile was the only operator to experience a decline during the review period.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecom operator, saw an increase in internet subscribers, rising by 1.61 million to reach 72.22 million in December 2024, compared to 70.60 million in November. On a year-on-year basis, MTN’s subscribers grew by 1.56 million, up from 70.65 million in December 2023. Airtel also reported a gain of 1.24 million subscribers, growing from 46.17 million in November to 47.41 million in December. This marked a 2.34 million increase from December 2023, when Airtel had 45 million subscribers.
In contrast, Globacom’s internet subscribers saw a slight decline, falling by 117,711 from 17.19 million in November to 17 million in December. This represented a significant drop compared to the 43.99 million subscribers it had in December 2023, showing a loss of 26.92 million subscribers over the year.
9mobile’s performance was also less than favorable, with the number of subscribers remaining unchanged at 2.06 million from November to December 2024. However, the telco experienced a decline of 1.56 million subscribers compared to the 3.63 million it had in December 2023.
The NCC’s report also showed that the total number of telephony subscribers in Nigeria reached 164.9 million in December 2024, an increase of 5 million from November but a decrease of 59.7 million from the 224.7 million recorded in December 2023. MTN led the sector with 84.6 million active telephony subscribers, followed by Airtel with 56.61 million, Globacom with 20.13 million, and 9mobile with 3.23 million.
Additionally, broadband penetration in Nigeria continued its upward trend, increasing from 43.16 percent in November 2024 to 44.43 percent in December, reflecting the country’s ongoing push to expand internet access and improve connectivity.
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