New industry figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission show that mobile subscriptions have increased by 4.61 million, reaching 226.84 million in 2022.
The Punch reported that this continues the upward trend in the telecommunications industry that has been seen since 2022. In February 2023, the total number of mobile subscriptions rose to 226.84 million from the 225.88 million that was recorded in January 2022.
MTN continues to have the most mobile subscribers (92.71 million), followed by Globacom (60.76 million), Airtel (60.30 million), and 9mobile (13.07 million).
Teledensity, which measures the number of active phone connections per 100 local residents, increased to 119.01 percent in February. With broadband penetration increasing to 48.49% and subscriptions reaching 92.56 million, the number of mobile Internet subscribers increased to 156.42 million.
According to the Chief Operational Officer of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Ajibola Olude, the rise in mobile subscriptions can be attributed to people’s growing dependency on the Internet.
He stated, “A lot of things are connected to the Internet, and they need SIMs, aside from that, there is a strong awareness of the need for ICT adoption at the Federal and State levels. Numerous services have moved online, and don’t forget that the CBN is pursuing a cashless economy, so using an Internet-enabled phone is probably necessary.
“The use of digital technology is expanding as broadband penetration rises. The Federal Government’s target of 50% broadband penetration by 2023 is expected to be surpassed by this growth,” he said.
