NCC Releases Telcos With Highest Subscribers as Nigeria Adds 20 Million New Mobile Subscriptions in 2022

• Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) said Nigeria has added about 20 million new subscribers in 2022
• The regulator said the new additions bring the total number of subscribers to 218.61 million in Nigeria
• It lists MTN, Glo and Airtel as leading with the highest number of new subscribers in the country followed by 9 Mobile

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) said Nigeria hit a new mobile subscription milestone as telephone companies in the country added about 23.48 million new subscriptions last year, bringing total mobile subscribers to 218.61 million.

The numbers show Nigeria’s leading position in the telecoms industry in Africa, largely due to its massive population.

Nigeria has the highest number of internet users in Africa

The country also boasts one of the highest internet access on the continent at 51 per cent.

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The West African country has the largest mobile population in Africa and a young and vibrant populace, all getting into the eligible mobile subscriber age, Business Insider reports.

No fewer than 18 million new Nigerians are expected to become subscribers by 2025, per GSMA projections.

The GSM Association is an industry organisation representing the interests of mobile network operators globally. It has more than 750 mobile operators and a further 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem as associate members.

The country’s burgeoning youth population are expected to become tech-savvy in the next couple of years.

Telcos with largest subscribers in Nigeria

Africa’s leading mobile telephone company, MTN has the largest subscribers at 86.44 million.

It is followed by Globacom with 59.95 million subscriptions and Airtel comes next at 59.38 million and 9 Mobile saw its subscriber base swell to 12.84 million.

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GSMA said that in 2021, mobile technologies and services generated about eight per cent across Africa, contributing almost $140 billion in economic value to the continent.

It also added that the industry added more than 3.2 million jobs, both directly and indirectly, and contributed substantially to the public with $16 billion generated through taxes in the sector.

The body said:

"By 2025, mobile’s contribution will grow by $65bn (to almost $155bn), as the countries in the region increasingly benefit from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the increased take-up of mobile services.”

Real reason MTN, Airtel and others may withdraw USSD services from banks

Legit.ng reported that telecom companies have threatened to withhold their Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) from banks over a huge debt by the banks.

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) stated that debts owed to them by deposit money banks in Nigeria have risen to N80 billion as of November this year.

ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo disclosed this in an interview with journalists.

Source: Legit.ng