MTN stays on top as Nigeria's active mobile lines hit 189.68 million, NCC data shows

Nigeria's active mobile subscriptions rose to 189.68 million in May 2026, up from 188.01 million in April, according to fresh data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). MTN Nigeria remains the market leader with 96.98 million subscribers, while Airtel follows with 65.45 million, giving the two operators nearly 86 per cent of the market.

Market share and operator numbers

MTN Nigeria holds a 51.19 per cent share of the total market, while Airtel Nigeria controls 34.55 per cent. Globacom is the third-largest operator with 23.47 million subscribers, and T2, formerly known as 9mobile, trails with 3.54 million active lines.

Month-on-month growth has been steady. Subscriptions stood at 185.72 million in March, rising to 188.01 million in April before hitting 189.68 million in May. The growth pushed Nigeria's teledensity to 87.50 per cent in May, compared with 86.73 per cent in April and 85.67 per cent in March.

Broadband and data consumption records

Broadband subscriptions climbed to 121.64 million in May from 120.68 million in April and 117.71 million in March, lifting broadband penetration to 56.11 per cent.

Data consumption also set a new record. Nigerians used 1.50 million terabytes in May, up from 1.41 million terabytes in April. Industry observers attribute the surge to video streaming, fintech platforms, cloud computing and artificial intelligence applications.

Network technology trends show 4G remains dominant, accounting for 54.30 per cent of subscriptions. 5G adoption reached 4.49 per cent, while older technologies are declining, with 2G at 36.12 per cent and 3G falling to 5.10 per cent.

Challenges and regulatory focus

Operators continue to face high diesel costs, unreliable electricity supply, foreign exchange volatility and damage to telecom infrastructure. Analysts say competition is shifting from voice services toward broadband expansion, network quality and customer experience, as data becomes the primary revenue driver.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida said the regulator remains focused on building a resilient telecoms sector through broader broadband deployment, better service quality and investment-friendly policies.

The NCC has also granted 46 Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) licenses to boost competition, and is revising the operational regulatory framework for the new players. According to the Commission, the review aims to strengthen the MVNO framework, address operational challenges, and help operators offer mobile services without owning spectrum or deploying nationwide infrastructure.

For Nigerian consumers and businesses, the latest figures confirm that data is now the main battleground. More competition and broadband expansion should support better pricing and service quality, but operators' operating costs remain a constraint on how fast that improvement can come.