New data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveals a significant milestone in the nation's telecommunications landscape. The country's telephone coverage, known as teledensity, climbed to 80.87 per cent in October 2025, indicating deepening access to telecom services across the population.
Surge in Subscriptions and Data Usage
Detailed subscription statistics show a notable rise in active users. Between September and October 2025, active telephone lines increased from 173.5 million to 175 million, sourced from over 310 million connected lines. This growth signifies that telecom operators activated approximately 1.54 million new or reactivated SIM cards within that single month.
Remarkably, this expansion occurred despite a 50 per cent tariff increase implemented on January 20, 2025, with government approval. The price adjustments raised the cost of a call to N9.6 per minute from N6.40 and pushed the price of 1GB of data to N431.25 from N287.5. However, this has not deterred Nigerians from consuming data. From February to September 2025, aggregate spending on data reached about N2.5 trillion, driving total data consumption from 893,054.80 terabytes to a staggering 1,235,459.47 terabytes.
4G Dominance and the 5G Struggle
A breakdown of network technology usage shows 4G remains the dominant force in Nigeria, accounting for 51.77 per cent of connections. This is followed by 2G at 38.4 per cent, while the aging 3G technology holds 6.34 per cent. The next-generation 5G network continues to face adoption challenges, capturing only 3.49 per cent of the market.
Internet subscription figures further illustrate the market dynamics. Narrowband internet users grew from 140.9 million to 142.6 million between September and October. Broadband subscriptions reached 108 million, translating to a penetration rate of 49.8 per cent. This figure remains 20.2 per cent short of the national 70 per cent target set for 2025.
The financial impact on major operators is clear. In the second quarter of 2025, MTN Nigeria's data revenue skyrocketed by 85.6 per cent to N701 billion, up from N377 billion in the same period last year. Airtel Nigeria also saw a 60.3 per cent rise in data revenue, reaching N260 billion. Analysts attribute this surge to increased demand from large enterprises and intensified competition among telecom companies and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), particularly in expanding Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) services in urban centres.
Market Leaders and Rural Connectivity Boost
MTN Nigeria maintains its position as the market leader with 91 million customers, commanding a 52 per cent market share. Airtel follows in second place with 59 million subscribers (33.7%), while Globacom holds third with 21.8 million customers. T2, formerly known as 9mobile, serves 3.13 million users.
In a major development for bridging the digital divide, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the deployment of 4,000 new telecommunications towers to underserved rural communities across Nigeria. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this initiative in Abuja, stating it will boost national security, enhance commerce, and close the urban-rural connectivity gap.
Idris revealed that approximately 23 million Nigerians are currently underserved, lacking basic communication services due to the absence of network infrastructure. The rollout of these new towers is expected to significantly improve connectivity, stimulate economic activity, and enhance security surveillance in areas with little to no network coverage.
