By Uriel Ihotu
Telecommunications operators in Nigeria lost close to one million internet subscribers in February 2025, just one month after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved a 50% hike in tariffs for voice, data, and SMS services.
The sharp increase in costs led to a significant drop in data consumption, as many subscribers adjusted their usage patterns to cope with the higher rates. According to fresh data released by the NCC, monthly data consumption fell to 893.06 petabytes in February, marking a 12% decline from January’s peak of one exabyte—the highest monthly data usage ever recorded in the country.
While data consumption saw a slight rebound in March, rising to 995.88 petabytes—an 11.5% increase from February—it still fell short of January’s historic high. This indicates that many subscribers remain cautious with their internet usage.
The tariff hike also led to a noticeable reduction in the number of internet users. Over 900,000 subscribers opted out of data plans in February, bringing the total internet user base down from 142.16 million in January to 141.25 million. The number slightly recovered in March to 142.05 million, but still struggled to regain its previous momentum.
Despite the drop in internet users, the telecom industry posted gains in other areas. Between January and March, operators added 3.39 million new telephone subscribers, pushing the total number of active lines from 169.32 million to 172.71 million. This growth boosted Nigeria’s teledensity—a measure of telephone penetration—from 78.10% in January to 79.67% in March.
Market Share Analysis
Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) continue to dominate the internet space, with MTN Nigeria leading at 75.62 million users. Airtel Nigeria follows with 48.8 million users, while Globacom and 9mobile serve 15.37 million and 1.75 million users, respectively.
In terms of overall market share by active telephone lines, MTN Nigeria maintains its lead with 90.5 million subscribers, representing 52.48% of the market. Airtel follows with 58.3 million users (33.78%), while Globacom has 20.7 million subscribers (12%). 9mobile remains the smallest player with 2.9 million users, holding a 1.72% share.
The latest figures highlight both resilience and emerging challenges within Nigeria’s telecom sector, as operators navigate economic shifts and changing consumer behaviors amid rising costs.
4o
