Active mobile subscribers increase along with teledensity at 116.60%
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Active mobile telephone subscription soared to 222.57 million and teledensity 116.60 per cent in 2022, according to the latest figures released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
NCC Executive Vice Chairman Umar Danbatta said internet subscribers exceeded 154.8 million with broadband penetration at 47.36 per cent in 2022.
He disclosed the figures during the NCC Special Day at the 44th Kaduna International Trade Fair organised by the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Industry (KADCCIMA).
Danbatta, represented by NCC Head of Consumer Protection and Advocacy Banji Ojo, reiterated the NCC has partnered KADCCIMA for years as it leverages the trade fair to engage telecom consumers and business owners in the North.
“The Commission recognises the fact that telecommunications sector has been a strategic driver of the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government, as it continues to provide the needed digital stamina to support the economy, especially the activities of the SMEs across in Nigeria and beyond,” he said.
“Information Communications Technology (ICT) is not only one of the fastest growing industries – directly creating millions of jobs – but it is also an important enabler of innovation and development, as it provides the backbone infrastructure for transnational business.
“Hence, in line with the Digital Literacy and Skills Pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, for a Digital Nigeria, the Commission embarked on digital literacy training for entrepreneurs across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
“The aim was to equip small-scale business owners with the requisite skills and to generate ideas for development of product and service that can be exported.
“NCC’s regulatory efforts in deepening access to digital services will benefit Nigeria and make it competitive comparable with other economies in the areas of job creation; contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth; emergence of new services and industries; workforce transformation; and business innovation.”
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Facilitating Nigeria’s competitiveness
“It is in our response to ensuring that Nigeria is competitive in all these areas that the Commission continuously puts a number of regulatory measures in place to ensure seamless access by Nigerians to telecommunications services in order to deepen competitiveness of the Nigerian economy by making our SMEs digitally compliant,” Danbatta said, per Vanguard reporting.
“In Nigeria today, the number of active mobile subscriptions reached about 222.571 million at December 2022 and teledensity of 116.60 per cent as at December 2022.
“Also, internet subscribers have exceeded 154.8 million with broadband penetration standing at 47.36 per cent as at December 2022.
“In this new environment, the competitiveness of Nigeria’s SMEs, for instance, depends on their ability to leverage new technologies by acquiring the necessary digital skills to do business on an international scale.
“The steady growth of telecoms sector over the years with its pervasive positive impact on all other sectors of the economy in terms of increased automation of processes and digital transformation in service delivery, has been remarkable. This, however, would not have been possible without you, telecoms consumers who are using the services daily.”
“To sustain this, therefore, the NCC continues to create a conducive environment that stimulates deployment of robust telecoms/broadband infrastructure for improving the quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) for telecoms consumers, be it individuals or corporates.
“This is because, as a country, we need robust telecoms infrastructure that will help our SMEs to transit to becoming Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-driven if we hope to be digitally competitive on the global stage.”