The activation and reactivation of approximately 1.11 million new Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards have increased Nigeria's active telephone user base from 184.6 million in February to 185.7 million in March, according to the latest subscription data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The country's telephone density also rose marginally from 85.16 percent to 85.67 percent.
Market Share and Network Distribution
During this period, MTN maintained its position as the market leader with 95.7 million subscribers, representing a 51.6 percent market share. Airtel followed with 63.6 million users, or 34.3 percent penetration. Glo recorded 22.6 million customers, accounting for 12.2 percent, while T2, formerly 9mobile, had 3.47 million subscribers, or 1.88 percent of the Nigerian market.
Further analysis revealed that data consumption reached four million terabytes by the end of the first quarter, utilizing 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. As of March 2026, 4G networks accounted for 53.76 percent of all connections, 2G for 36.74 percent, 3G for 5.30 percent, and 5G for 4.2 percent. The 5G network, which has been operational for about three years and eight months since its commercial launch in October 2022, is primarily concentrated in major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
Consumer Compensation Framework Enforced
Subscribers who endured months of dropped calls and slow internet are now receiving compensation. The NCC successfully enforced its new Consumer Compensation Framework, compelling major telcos including Airtel, MTN, Glo, and 9mobile to issue automatic airtime refunds for service failures. This marks a significant shift from past practices where regulators only collected fines from operators while consumers received nothing.
Airtel Nigeria began rolling out compensation on the morning of the report. Subscribers received SMS notifications stating: "Dear customer, you have been credited with compensation airtime for service quality issues (Nov 2025 – Jan 2026). Dial *310# to check." The amounts vary based on usage and location, with customers reporting credits ranging from N167 to over N500, most under N1,000. MTN Nigeria also started compensating subscribers with airtime credits ranging from N20 to over N341 for poor network quality experienced in January 2026.
Regulator's Stance and Implementation
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos last month, NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr. Aminu Maida declared that the era of mere warnings was over. "This is about giving back value to subscribers who have experienced poor service. It is not a refund from the regulator, but a compliance obligation placed on service providers," Maida stated. The compensation specifically targets service failures recorded between November 2025 and January 2026. Unlike regular promotional bonuses, this "clean credit" has no expiry date and can be used for data, calls, or SMS. Subscribers do not need to apply or visit service centres.
The NCC has mandated that operators automatically detect network failures at the Local Government Area (LGA) level—a granular monitoring system designed to reflect real user experience rather than general averages. To qualify, a subscriber must have been in an affected LGA and performed a "billed activity" (call, text, or data use) during the outage period.
Infrastructure Investments to Prevent Future Issues
To prevent future payouts, the NCC is demanding massive infrastructure investments. Maida revealed that telcos have committed to approximately 12,000 network upgrades in 2026, a drastic increase from just over 300 upgrades last year. One major operator has already pledged over $1 billion in fresh capital expenditure. Industry analysts noted that while the payouts are a win for consumer rights, the ultimate goal is service improvement.
