After the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved a 50% hike in voice, data, and SMS tariffs in January 2025, what followed was over 910,000 internet users disappearing in February alone, a huge drop in internet usage and a mass migration of subscribers.
Statistics released by the NCC show internet users dropped from 142.16 million in January to 141.25 million in February, with only a partial rebound to 142.05 million in March.
That dip in users came alongside a plunge in data consumption. Monthly usage fell by 12%, down from January’s all-time high of one exabyte to 893.06 petabytes in February.
Though it climbed to 995.88 petabytes in March, that recovery didn’t undo the damage. Nigerians were rationing data. Prices had simply gone too high.
Despite that pullback, telecom operators somehow added 3.39 million new telephone lines between January and March. This brought the total number of active lines to 172.71 million and lifted teledensity to 79.67%. So while people may be speaking more, they are browsing less.
At the top of the pile, MTN Nigeria continues to thrive. With 75.62 million internet subscribers and 90.5 million active lines, MTN now commands over half of the mobile market.
Airtel seconds with 58.3 million lines, Globacom has 20.7 million, and 9mobile has just 2.9 million.
Nowhere is this collapse more apparent than at 9mobile. In just two months, February and March 2025, the operator lost 318,825 subscribers. It now holds just 1.72% of the market.
This comes as no surprise to those who have watched the company deteriorate. Customers continue to complain about poor signal, slow internet speeds, and frequent network failures. Internal investments have stalled, and retention efforts have fizzled.
Behind closed doors, 9mobile has been counting on a national roaming agreement with MTN to fix its problems. The deal would allow it to tap into MTN’s vast infrastructure, boosting its network reach and improving service quality.
The partnership has been technically structured and commercially agreed. But it remains stuck at the regulatory level.
The NCC, which must approve the deal, is still conducting reviews. These include assessing the impact on competition, evaluating spectrum-sharing terms, and ensuring alignment with national broadband goals. The review timeline usually spans up to 12 weeks, but every delay eats into 9mobile’s relevance.
According to one industry executive familiar with the matter, “The NCC is delaying because it knows a deal gives the other party (MTN Nigeria) the upper hand. They know what it means for MTN to get its hands on 9mobile’s spectrum.”
This spectrum includes the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands—valuable assets in an industry where infrastructure is everything. If MTN absorbs them, it could widen the already gaping divide between itself and every other operator.
Porting data reveals where the trust lies. Between February and March, MTN gained 4,855 new users who migrated from rival networks. In contrast, 9mobile saw 5,809 users leave, and only three joined its network during that period. The bleeding is constant. And without the roaming deal, there’s no bandage in sight.
It wasn’t always like this. When 9mobile operated as Etisalat Nigeria in 2015, it had over 23 million subscribers. Today, it has less than three million. That’s a 90% collapse in less than a decade. And yet, the company still hasn’t hit bottom.
The NCC hasn’t commented publicly on the status of the roaming application. MTN, too, has remained silent. But from inside the industry, the stakes are understood.
Until the NCC makes a call, 9mobile remains in limbo. Every day without regulatory approval is another day closer to losing customers, with internet users sliding backwards.
