Nigeria’s telephone coverage rose to 80.87 percent in October 2025, marking a significant milestone in national connectivity, according to new data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Active telephone subscriptions increased from 173.5 million in September to 175 million in October, reflecting the activation of approximately 1.54 million new SIM cards in a single month.
The data shows that 4G remains Nigeria’s dominant network technology, accounting for 51.77 percent of total usage, followed by 2G at 38.4 percent and 3G at 6.34 percent. Despite ongoing investments, 5G penetration remains limited at just 3.49 percent. Broadband subscriptions climbed to 108 million users, delivering a penetration rate of 49.8 percent, still short of the national 70 percent target for 2025. Narrowband subscriptions also grew to 142.6 million.
Interestingly, Nigeria’s steep 50 percent telecom tariff hike introduced in January 2025 has not slowed data consumption. Between February and September, Nigerians spent an estimated ₦2.5 trillion on data, driving total consumption from 893,054 terabytes to 1,235,459 terabytes. During the same period, telecom operators reported sharp revenue growth, with MTN Nigeria’s data revenue rising by 85.6 percent year-on-year and Airtel Nigeria recording a 60.3 percent increase.
