In September 2024, 9mobile accounted for 90% of all outgoing subscribers as 7,127 of its customers migrated to rival networks, according to recent data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Meanwhile, MTN capitalized on this churn, welcoming 4,987 new subscribers—representing 63% of total incoming ports from other networks.
This surge in subscribers placed MTN above other telecom platforms in the market, showcasing its ability to attract dissatisfied users from competitors.
This wave of subscriber migration, part of the NCC’s monthly tracking of industry trends, reveals the challenges faced by 9mobile, which has been struggling to retain its customer base even after its acquisition by LH Telecommunications Limited earlier this year.
Although there have been attempts at restructuring and repositioning, the company attracted only 30 incoming subscribers, making it the least popular network for customer inflow.
The month’s porting statistics show MTN leading not just in market size but also in its ability to attract discontented users from competitors.
In addition to MTN’s gains, Airtel received 2,205 new subscribers, while Globacom gained 664, showing that both operators continue to hold appeal among Nigeria’s mobile users.
In total, about 7,886 subscribers switched networks in September, as users pursued better service quality and cost-effective options. These porting patterns align with each provider’s overall subscription numbers.
MTN retained its top position in the market with a strong base of 78 million active subscribers. Airtel followed with 53.7 million, while Globacom held a distant third place at 19 million, having experienced some subscriber losses earlier this year.
With consistent challenges and customer departures, 9mobile’s active subscriptions were reduced to 3.6 million by the end of September, emphasizing the difficulties for the company to maintain a solid market presence.
The NCC attributes the changing subscriber sector to multiple factors, including service quality improvements among some operators and the increasingly competitive pricing strategies offered by mobile network providers.
Many users reportedly seek more reliable service and also better call and data rates, prompting network switching as they respond to promotional offerings.
This porting activity comes after a significant development in July 2023, when 9mobile announced its acquisition by LH Telecommunications Limited.
The deal, approved by both the NCC and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), involved a major capital injection from the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM) and saw LH Telecommunications take 95.5% control of 9mobile.
This transfer led to a complete board reshuffle, with Thomas Etuh assuming the role of board chairman and other notable figures such as Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma joining as directors.
With the newly restructured 9mobile looking to stabilize its operations, it faces a difficult path in regaining lost ground.
While the company’s leadership aims to leverage the fresh capital and new management team to revitalize its market share, its ability to appeal to and retain subscribers will be tough as fierce competition from larger players like MTN, Airtel, and Globacom continues to increase.
