By the conclusion of December 2025, Nigeria’s active telephone subscriptions reached 179.64 million, indicating sustained increase in mobile usage and an increasing demand for data services, as reported by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Recent industry data indicated that active mobile subscriptions rose from 177.43 million in November to 179.64 million in December, elevating national teledensity to 82.87 percent.
Teledensity, a crucial telecommunications metric, quantifies the number of active telephone connections—both mobile and fixed—per 100 individuals.
It is extensively utilized to evaluate telecommunications penetration, infrastructural advancement, and economic activity, while also emphasizing differences in access between urban and rural areas.
According to market share data from the NCC, MTN Nigeria retains its leading position with 93 million subscribers, representing 51.87 percent of the market.
Airtel Nigeria reported 60.8 million users, capturing a 33.9 percent market share.
Globacom secured the third position with 22.2 million subscribers, accounting for 12.4 percent of the market, whereas T2 (previously 9mobile) concluded the year with 3.22 million consumers, equating to a 1.80 percent market share.
Regarding technology deployment, 4G networks continued to prevail, with 52.95 percent of all connections.
2G accounted for 37.37 percent, and 3G represented 5.91 percent. In Nigeria, 5G, now in its fourth year of operation, constituted 3.77 percent of total connections, indicating a modest yet consistent uptake.
The report also emphasized a notable increase in data use.
Total data consumption exceeded 13.2 million terabytes in 2025, highlighting the increasing demand among Nigerians for streaming, digital services, social media, and online commerce.
The adoption of broadband persisted in its growth concurrent with the increase in data demand.
In December, internet memberships increased to 112.67 million, elevating broadband penetration to 51.97 percent, up from 50.58 percent in November.
The NCC data underscores the sector’s significance as a pivotal contributor to Nigeria’s digital economy, with enhanced connection, escalating data consumption, and growing broadband penetration influencing consumer trends and commercial operations nationwide.
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