Nigeria’s telecommunications industry continued its steady expansion in the third quarter of 2025, as active telephone subscriptions climbed to 173.54 million in September, from 171.57 million in August, according to new data from the Nigerian Communications Commission.
The growth, though modest, highlights the sector’s resilience amid economic headwinds and ongoing efforts by operators to extend network coverage.
Internet subscriptions on GSM networks also rose slightly to 140.36 million, while overall teledensity increased to 80.05 per cent, the regulator’s report released on Wednesday showed.
MTN Nigeria remained the country’s largest mobile operator with 90.33 million subscribers, accounting for 52.1 per cent of the total market share.
Airtel Nigeria followed with 58.47 million users (33.7 per cent), and Globacom served 21.39 million (12.3 per cent).
T2 Mobile (formerly 9mobile) recorded 3.11 million active lines, representing 1.8 per cent of the market, a slight improvement from the previous month.
Broadband penetration reached a new record of 49.34 per cent in September, up from 48.81 per cent in August, reflecting growing demand for high-speed internet across urban and semi-urban areas.
