Nigeria’s mobile network operators (MNOs) have registered over 306.7 million subscribers under the mandatory SIM card registration scheme by year-end 2023, according to the nation’s telecoms regulator.
According to the details obtained by Technology Times from the 2023 Subscriber/Network Performance Report released this week by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), t he industry regulator states that MNOs registered a total of 306,725,380 subscribers across Nigeria “in line with the SIM Card registration exercise mandated by the Commission” as at December, 2023.
Apart from the report of the SIM card registrations, the NCC reported a 0.96% increase in total active voice subscriptions across all market segments in 2023. The figure rose to 224,713,710 by December 2023, compared to 222,571,568 recorded at the end of 2022.
SIM card registrations: Five MNOs registered 306,725,380 subscribers
According to the NCC data, the total SIM card registrations at year-end 2023 was split across five MNOs as follows: MTN Nigeria, 126,072,111; Glo, 70,485,301; Airtel Nigeria, 62,960,003; 9Mobile, 46,229,944; Smile, 740,158 and Ntel, 237,863.
“In line with the SIM Card registration exercise mandated by the Commission,” the regulator says, “Mobile Operators as at December, 2023 had registered a total of 306,725,380 subscribers in the country.”
Apart from the report of the SIM card registrations, the NCC reported a 0.96% increase in total active voice subscriptions across all market segments in 2023. The figure rose to 224,713,710 by December 2023, compared to 222,571,568 recorded at the end of 2022.
“As at December 2023, total active voice subscriptions for the entire market segments was 224,713,710 as against 222,571,568 recorded as at December 2022. This indicates an increase of 0.96% in 2023, the NCC report states.
Prepaid and Postpaid Growth
Prepaid mobile voice subscriptions, which dominate the market, grew by 0.84%, rising from 215,345,361 in December 2022 to 217,143,995 by the end of 2023. Meanwhile, postpaid subscriptions recorded a more significant increase of 4.61%, climbing from 7,129,211 in December 2022 to 7,457,744 as of December 2023.
Active Voice Subscriptions by Operators
NCC says that total active voice subscriptions increased by 15.44% within specific operator segments, reaching 111,971 in 2023 compared to 96,996 in 2022. Despite this, ipNX, MIN, and Glo reported declines of 10.74%, 3.01%, and 1%, respectively. Conversely, emerging players such as Big Picture and Inq Digital contributed 5,020 and 10,264 active voice subscriptions, respectively, showcasing market diversification.
Subscriber Base and Teledensity
The operators attributed the overall increase in subscriber base to high volumes of new activations, reactivation efforts, and efficient customer retention strategies. However, teledensity declined by 11.10%, dropping from 116.60% in 2022 to 103.61% in 2023. This decrease, NCC says, resulted from the adoption of updated population projections from the National Population Commission (NPC). The NPC’s 2022 projection of Nigeria’s population at 216.78 million replaced the previously-used 2017 estimate of 190 million, impacting this key indicator.
Regional Insights: South West Leads Active Voice Subscriptions in 2023
NCC reports that the South West led active voice subscriptions in 2023 with 63.95 million, accounting for 28% of the total. The North West followed with 40.98 million (18%), while the North Central recorded 33.03 million (15%).
The South South, North East, and South East had 21.46 million, 21.49 million, and 13.80 million subscriptions, respectively, highlighting regional variations in mobile penetration.
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