By Alex Omenye
Nigerian Communications Commission, the number of 5G subscriptions in the country experienced a significant uptick, reaching 2.3 million in December 2023, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Despite this growth, it represents just 1.04% of the total active telephone subscriptions, which stood at 124.7 million by the end of the year. The providers leading the 5G charge in Nigeria are MTN, Airtel, and Mafab Communications.
While these telecom operators are actively investing in expanding 5G services, certain challenges, such as the steep costs associated with 5G devices, have impeded the swift adoption of this advanced technology. Notably, 2G subscriptions continue to dominate the landscape, constituting 57.84% of all connections in Nigeria as of December 2023.
The telecom industry’s statistical insights delve deeper, indicating that 3G subscriptions account for 9.80% of the nearly 225 million subscriptions. 3G, introduced in Nigeria in 2007, brought about advancements like video calls, higher data transfer speeds of up to 2 Mbps, and increased bandwidth compared to the 2G network.
As for 4G, despite its rollout beginning in 2016, its share of subscriptions stands at 31.33% as of December 2023. However, there has been a steady rise, with only 25.06% of connections on 4G as of May 2023.
Despite the deployment of 5G infrastructure in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port-Harcourt, the service faces sluggish adoption due to device limitations. The elevated costs of smartphones, exacerbated by soaring inflation in Nigeria, pose a significant deterrent to those eager to upgrade to 5G connections.
Mohammed Rufai, the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, sheds light on the challenge of device compatibility, citing it as the reason for maintaining 2G and 3G networks alongside investments in 4G and 5G. He emphasizes the need to cater to subscribers with 2G and 3G devices.
This issue is not unique to Nigeria, as highlighted by a recent report from the International Telecommunications Union, which reveals that 5G coverage in Africa was the lowest globally at 6% as of December 2023.
In terms of specific timelines, MTN took the lead by launching the first 5G network in Nigeria in September 2022. Airtel followed suit in June 2023, while Mafab Communications, despite securing the 5G license concurrently with MTN, initiated its service rollout in late 2023, commencing with the sale of routers.
MTN’s initial 5G service covered seven cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri, with ongoing efforts to expand further. Airtel, at its June 2023 launch, introduced 5G in four states – Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, and Ogun – with plans to extend to six additional states within the first year.
Mafab, with its 5G service kickstarting in Abuja, pledged to roll out the first phase across six cities in adherence to the licensing obligations outlined in official documents.
