MTN gains most as 9mobile adds new subscribers for the first time in months
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Market leader MTN gained the most with 3.1 million as active mobile subscriber base rose to 218.5 million in November 2022, with the three other major players Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile not faring too badly.
The latest Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data shows the four biggest networks had a combined 4.2 million rise in subscriptions in November, up on 214.3 million in October.
Teledensity – which measures the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants living in an area – jumped from 112.47 per cent in October to 114.07 per cent in November 2022.
The NCC calculates teledensity based on Nigeria’s estimated population of 190 million.
MTN, the largest operator by subscriber number, gained 3.1 million new subscriptions in November, bringing its total active customer database to 86.4 million from 83.2 million in October.
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Aitel, Glo, 9mobile
Airtel added 713,865 new subscriptions but it was not enough to displace Glo from the second position. Airtel customer numbers rose to 59.3 million in November from 58.6 million in October, per Nairametrics.
Glo had an increase of 312,274 in subscription, raising its total to 59.9 million in November from 59.6 million in October.
And 9mobile paused its losing streak by gaining new subscriptions for the first time in several months. Its database grew by 69,812 to 12.8 in November.
Active mobile phone lines up from 207.58m in 2020
Active telephone subscriber base rose to 214.35 million in October 2022, up from 207.58 million in October 2020, NCC data shows.
Telecom networks disclosed the numbers are growing because more subscribers are getting new SIMs to bypass restrictions on SIMs not linked to National Identification Numbers (NINs), based on government directive in 2020.
“As a result, the average daily gross connection was 48.1 per cent above the pre-directive level, partly driven by the cohort of subscribers who were initially restricted and opted to register new SIMs,” MTN Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola explained in the company’s third quarter (Q3 2022) release.
“Combined with increased usage from the existing base, these have supported an acceleration in the service revenue growth recovery and mitigated the impact of churn on the base.”
Consistent growth in subscriber numbers in 2022 aligns with the forecast of the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA).
GSMA noted Nigeria has a sizeable number of its population under the age of 18, meaning its subscriber growth would remain strong for the foreseeable future as more young consumers cross into adulthood and subscribe to mobile services.