Nigeria’s telecommunications sector continued its upward growth in April 2026, with active mobile subscriptions rising to 188.01 million and broadband penetration increasing to 55.67 percent, according to the latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The report showed that active telephony subscriptions climbed to 188,009,171 in April, up from the previous month, pushing the country’s teledensity to 86.73 percent, compared with 85.67 percent recorded in March.
The figures reflect continued expansion in access to telecommunications services, driven by growing demand for mobile voice and data services across Nigeria.
An analysis of the subscriber base showed that MTN Nigeria retained its position as the country’s largest mobile network operator with 96,391,419 active subscribers, accounting for more than half of total mobile subscriptions.
Airtel Nigeria followed with 64,670,018 subscribers, while Globacom recorded 23,178,597 subscribers. 9mobile (T2) had 3,538,021 active subscribers during the period.
The NCC data also highlighted the ongoing migration of users to faster broadband technologies.
According to the report, 4G remained the dominant mobile technology, accounting for 54.41 percent of all network connections in April, up from 53.76 percent in March.
Similarly, 5G adoption continued to gain momentum, with its market share increasing from 4.20 percent in March to 4.34 percent in April.
In contrast, the share of 2G subscriptions declined to 35.93 percent, down from 36.74 percent, reflecting the gradual shift by consumers from legacy networks to higher-speed broadband services.
The 3G segment remained largely stable, accounting for 5.32 percent of total connections, compared with 5.30 percent in the previous month.
The commission further disclosed that total internet subscriptions stood at 154,724,088 in April.
Of the total, 154,347,260 subscriptions were on mobile GSM networks, while fixed-wired internet subscriptions stood at 156,662. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services accounted for 220,166 subscriptions.
Broadband subscriptions also recorded strong growth, increasing to 120,684,625 in April from 117,710,397 recorded in March.
As a result, broadband penetration improved from 54.30 percent to 55.67 percent, reflecting sustained investment in broadband infrastructure and increased adoption of high-speed internet services by individuals and businesses.
Despite the rise in internet and broadband subscriptions, total internet data consumption declined slightly.
According to the NCC, internet usage fell marginally to 1,414,848.70 terabytes (TB) in April from 1,422,764.54TB recorded in March, suggesting that while more Nigerians are coming online, overall data consumption remained relatively stable.
Meanwhile, the telecommunications sector maintained its significant contribution to the Nigerian economy, accounting for 9.19 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2026.
The latest figures underscore the sector’s strategic role in advancing Nigeria’s digital economy, with industry stakeholders maintaining that sustained investment in broadband infrastructure, wider deployment of 5G technology and improved quality of service will further accelerate digital inclusion, innovation and economic growth.
