Active Mobile Subscriptions In Nigeria Increased To 206 Million In The First Half Of 2022 – NCC

According to data provided by the Nigerian Communications Commission, in the first half of 2022, there was a 10.9 million increase in the number of active subscriptions in the country. The data provided by the NCC showed that in the first six months of this year, mobile network operators – MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile – in the country saw a remarkable increase in active subscriptions which brings the total mobile subscriptions in Nigeria to 206 million as of the end of June.

As of the end of last year, the figure stood at 195.1 million. The growth is important for operators because it marks a recovery from the difficulties they faced in 2021 as a result of SIM registration regulations imposed by the Federal Government. Between December 2020 and April 2021, mobile operators were unable to take in new customers as a result of the ban on SIM registrations.

It is pertinent to know that the number of active telephone connections per 100 people living in an area (referred to as teledensity), increased from 102.40 in December 2021 to 108.15 percent in June 2022. The NCC says teledensity is calculated using an estimated population of 190 million.

Analyzing the industry data provided by the NCC, MTN which is the biggest mobile operator in the country by the number of subscribers, recorded 5.4 million new subscribers between January and June this year. Its total active customer database now stands at 79 million from 73.59 million it recorded in December last year.

Mobile operator Airtel increased by 4.2 million subscribers between January and June this year. It is currently Nigeria’s second-largest mobile operator. Its active customer database grew from 53.9 million recorded in December 2021 to 58.1 million by the end of June.

Globacom added 1.4 million new subscribers in the first half of this year. Its total subscriptions grew to 56.2 million from 54.8 million which it recorded last year December.

9mobile recorded a loss in subscribers within the first half of 2022. It now has 12.6 million subscribers from 12.7 it recorded in December last year.

Mobile subscriptions in the country currently stand at 206 million but as of October 2020, it stood at 207.57 million which remains the all-time high.