The Nigeria’s number of active telephone users has reduced to 157 million, according to recent data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This is a significant reduction compared with previous figures recorded earlier in the year.
In its report, the regulator stated that the the number of active mobile subscriptions across all telecom providers decreased from 159.5 million in September to 157 million in October 2024.
A n official attributed the development to The slight decline in active subscriptions “due to an ongoing cleanup exercise of inactive lines, non-rechargeable accounts, and the general improvement of data integrity across all networks.”
But, analysts say, despite the decline, broadband penetration remains robust, with Nigeria recording over 90 million broadband subscriptions.
This had placed Nigeria among the leading nations in Africa in terms of internet connectivity and mobile broadband adoption.
The broadband penetration rate is currently said to be at 47.1%, throwing up the resilience in the telecom sector despite the drop in overall active mobile subscriptions.
The report also noted that MTN Nigeria has continued to dominate the market with a significant share, followed by Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile.
