At the same time, the country recorded over 182 million active mobile subscriptions and about 53% broadband penetration as of early 2026.

These statistics are rarely spotlighted in discussions about Nigeria’s tech sector, though they point to the main driver in the field.

While attention is placed on startups, funding rounds and new apps, influence is consolidating around the companies that run the networks.

These include MTN Group and Airtel Africa, not simply as telecom operators, but as companies expanding into digital platforms.

The scale advantage nobody can replicate

Start with distribution. Nigeria has more than 182 million active mobile lines, with stable monthly growth. In January 2026 alone, over 2.5 million new subscriptions were added.

Market share is heavily concentrated, with MTN and Airtel together accounting for close to 86% of mobile connections in the country.

This is not a fragmented market, a small number of operators control access at scale, limiting how far smaller competitors can reach.

That control affects how people come online, how data is used, and how digital services reach users.

Startups build applications, but telcos are in control of the networks on which those applications depend.

From connectivity to control

For years, telecom companies relied on voice calls and SMS for revenue, but that model has changed.

Data now drives earnings, alongside enterprise services and digital offerings.

The transition is measurable and revenue is moving towards:

• mobile data
• business connectivity
• digital service layers

At the same time, telecom operators are expanding into:

• financial services
• developer platforms
• enterprise solutions
• identity and verification systems

This is a change in structure, not just product expansion.

Once a company controls connectivity, expanding into adjacent services becomes a natural progression.

MTN’s reset

Recent changes at MTN Group align with the new direction. A few days ago, the company announced the appointment of five new independent non-executive directors, alongside the planned retirement of long-serving board members. The changes take effect from March 31 and are tied to its Ambition 2030 strategy.

This is part of a governance adjustment. As operations expand across markets and services, oversight structures are being strengthened to match that scale and complexity.

Board composition influences strategic direction, capital allocation and risk management. Changes at that level usually show where a company is heading.

In this case, the direction points beyond traditional telecom operations.

Airtel is focusing on a different future

Airtel Africa is taking a different approach. The company is testing satellite-to-mobile connectivity, working with low-earth orbit systems to extend coverage.

Nigeria still faces infrastructure challenges, including uneven fibre deployment and high rollout costs in rural areas.

Satellite connectivity provides a way around these limits. Coverage is no longer tied entirely to physical infrastructure such as towers and fibre routes.

If scaled, this approach could change how network expansion is done, particularly in underserved areas.

The fintech convergence is inevitable

Telecom operators already have:

• large, verified user bases
• frequent customer interaction through airtime and data
• wide physical and digital distribution

These factors support expansion into:

• payments
• wallets
• remittance services
• credit products

This brings them into direct competition with fintech firms, with the difference lying in the starting point.

Startups build products and then acquire users. Telcos already have users and are building services around them.

The result of this overlap is still unfolding, but the direction is too simple not to understand.

Data flows, and telcos sit at the centre

Nigeria’s digital activity is growing really fast. Monthly data consumption has crossed 1.3 million terabytes, driven by streaming, social media and financial services.

All of that traffic runs through telecom networks.

Operators influence:

• connection speed
• pricing
• reliability

These factors affect how digital services perform and how widely they are adopted.

This places telecom companies in a foremost position within the digital economy.

There is Growth, but access is still uneven

Infrastructure investment is increasing even as the network keeps expanding, with more sites, wider fibre coverage and gradual 5G rollout. MTN alone invested over $1 billion in 2025, targeting wider broadband access.

However, there is still a huge gap.

Broadband penetration is just above 53%, and access is uneven across regions. Again, we can’t leave out the high expenses that limit many users.

Expansion is ongoing, but inclusion is not yet complete.

Regulation will follow power

With telecom companies expanding their role, regulatory attention is increasing.

Issues under focus include:

• data protection
• competition
• infrastructure security

Telecom networks now support financial systems, communication and economic activity at scale.

As their influence grows, so does the need for oversight.

The endgame is already visible

As it stands, telcos across Africa, in a bid to become tech platforms, are expanding into multiple layers of the digital economy.

Their roles are expanding to include:

• financial services
• cloud distribution
• identity systems
• infrastructure platforms

This places them in a position to support and influence a wide range of digital services.

Startups will continue to innovate just as regulators will continue to respond.

But telecom operators will always be indispensable to how digital access is provided and scaled.

So…

Much of the conversation around Nigeria’s tech sector focuses on applications, founders and funding.

That view leaves out the underlying systems that make those services possible.

The more fundamental changes are happening in network expansion, infrastructure investment and corporate strategy.

They are less visible, but they carry long-term weight, and they are steadily changing how the digital economy operates.

The agreement will allow the mobile operator to link base stations to its core network without laying fibre in difficult terrain.

Instead, it will use satellite backhaul to provide speeds of up to 1 Gbps for download and 400 Mbps for upload.

Vodafone announced the partnership at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The company said it will begin connecting sites in Germany and other European countries this year. After that, it will extend the service across Africa through its subsidiary Vodacom.

The first African rollouts are expected in 2026 as Amazon Leo expands its satellite network.

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, already has more than 200 satellites in orbit. The company recently launched 32 additional satellites in February 2026.

It also secured approval from the US Federal Communications Commission to deploy 4,500 more satellites, bringing its planned constellation to 7,700.

That scale places Amazon in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink, which has over 9,000 satellites in orbit and around 9 million subscribers worldwide.

Rural masts usually sit far from fibre routes and running cables across forests, mountains or flood-prone areas is expensive and slow. Satellite links can be installed faster and at lower cost. They also provide backup if fibre lines are cut or damaged by flooding.

Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone group chief executive, said: “Vodafone is looking to space to connect more mobile base stations to our core network, and strengthen resilience even in the most challenging environments. Amazon Leo’s new satellite constellation supports our ambition to give all Vodafone customers reliable and high-speed connectivity, wherever they are.”

Panos Panay, senior vice president of Amazon Devices & Services, said: “Connectivity shouldn’t depend on where you live. With Amazon Leo, we’re helping bring fast, reliable broadband to places traditional infrastructure can’t easily reach, from rural communities to critical emergency networks.

“Partnering with Vodafone and Vodacom is an important step toward connecting millions more people across Europe and Africa and expanding access to the digital services that power modern life.”

Shameel Joosub, chief executive of Vodacom Group, said: “At Vodacom, we are working every day to bring more people in Africa online and in reach of vital digital services. Partnering with Amazon Leo enables us to swiftly deploy mobile connectivity in isolated areas, allowing us to efficiently expand our reach to more customers throughout the African continent.”

Vodafone says the partnership with Amazon Leo will also support the expansion of advanced 5G services in Europe. In Africa, Vodacom links the project to its Vision 2030 targets.

The group aims to reach 260 million customers, grow its financial services business and raise smartphone penetration to 75% by 2030.

Separately, Vodafone is working with AST SpaceMobile on direct satellite-to-smartphone services. The company has not yet announced a launch date for that offering.

Despite aggressive marketing by major Tier-1 telcos, the latest market data for December 2025 reveals that the country is still far from its high-speed targets.

The Tech Mix: 4G is the Workhorse, 2G the Survivor

As of late 2025, 4G LTE has firmly established itself as the backbone of the Nigerian digital economy.

It now accounts for 52.95% of the total technology generation share. This dominance is fueled by the rapid migration of urban users from older 3G networks to 4G-enabled smartphones and the expansion of LTE infrastructure by MTN and Airtel.

Surprisingly, 2G technology, often written off as a relic, refuses to die, maintaining a significant 37.37% share of the market.

This highlights a persistent “device gap” in rural Nigeria, where millions of subscribers still rely on basic feature phones for voice calls and text-based services.

The 5G Reality Check: Growth at a Snail’s Pace

While 5G was heralded as a game-changer for the Nigerian tech ecosystem, its penetration remains modest. By December 2025, 5G technology penetration stood at just 3.77%.

The slow growth of 5G can be attributed to several macroeconomic and structural factors:

Hardware Costs: The average cost of a 5G-compatible smartphone remains prohibitively high for the majority of Nigerians, especially given the inflationary pressure on disposable income.

Infrastructure Capex: Expanding 5G requires significant capital expenditure (Capex) in a high-interest-rate environment. Telcos are prioritizing the optimization of 4G, which offers better immediate returns on investment.

Limited Use Cases: Beyond high-speed streaming and gaming in a few upscale neighborhoods in Lagos and Abuja, the enterprise-grade “killer apps” for 5G are yet to go mainstream.

Broadband Penetration Crosses 51% in December 2025 | Subscriptions Top 112 Million

Nigeria’s broadband market has crossed a significant milestone, with total subscriptions surpassing 112 million in December 2025, pushing internet penetration to 51.97%.

This marks the first time more than half of the country’s population had active broadband connections, reflecting steady growth in the sector over the past year.

Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that broadband subscriptions have grown consistently throughout 2025, rising from 91.5 million in October 2024 to 112.6 million by December 2025.

While the month-on-month growth has been gradual, averaging around 2-3 million new subscriptions per month, the overall trend highlights sustained demand for digital connectivity across urban and rural areas.

Interestingly, broadband penetration figures have followed a slightly different pattern than subscription growth.

The penetration rate, representing the percentage of the population with broadband access, climbed from 42.2% in October 2024 to just under 52% in December 2025.

Despite subscription increases, penetration growth slowed at mid-year, hovering around 48% from June to August 2025, suggesting that population growth and uneven distribution across regions may be moderating the pace at which Nigerians gain access to high-speed internet.

This was revealed in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) industry performance report for the fourth quarter of 2025.

According to Edoyemi Ogoh, NCC’s director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, about 50 % of consumers who own 5G-capable devices cannot use the service because coverage simply isn’t available where they are.

This coverage gap is particularly stark outside core business and central urban districts.

Coverage Gaps and the Geography of Connectivity

Data from Lagos and Abuja highlights the challenge: in Lagos, the 5G coverage gap, the share of potential users who can’t access service, fell from 70.9 % in Q3 to 55.4 % in Q4 2025, while in Abuja it declined from 65.6 % to 47.4 % over the same period. Progress, yes, but far from complete.

These figures reflect a rollout still concentrated in major cities, where telecom operators have invested heavily in infrastructure.

Operators like MTN and Airtel show stronger urban latency and performance metrics, while others, including Glo and T2, lag behind, especially in rural and peri-urban zones.

Urban Gains, Rural Losses

The NCC’s analysis also exposes a widening digital divide between urban and rural Nigeria:

Urban median download speeds improved from 19 Mbps in Q3 to 20.5 Mbps in Q4 2025; Rural speeds, by contrast, declined over the same period, but upload performance gaps widened as well.

This pattern highlights how 5G and even 4G gains are disproportionately felt in cities, where dense population and revenue prospects attract faster deployment, while rural communities remain stuck with older technologies.

What This Means for Nigeria’s Digital Economy

The implications are real for Nigeria’s broader digital ambitions:

Consumer experience: High latency and patchy coverage undermine the benefits of 5G devices, especially for data-intensive activities like video streaming, cloud services, and real-time collaboration.

Digital inclusion goals: Without more equitable network expansion, economic, opportunities , especially in sectors like e-commerce, fintech, and digital services remain unevenly distributed.

Operator strategy: Investments over the past year yielded over 2,800 new sites, but many are clustered in urban corridors. Operators and policymakers must align rollout incentives with national connectivity targets.

Bridging the Gap

NCC’s report supposes that 5G holds promise for transformative speeds and network capacity, device readiness has overtaken network deployment in Nigeria, a classic infrastructure bottleneck that tech leaders must urgently address.

According to the Commission, bridging this divide will require accelerated rollout of 5G sites across underserved regions; upgrading existing rural towers to at least 4G where 5G is not yet viable, and incentives and regulatory support to drive equitable coverage expansion

Only then can Nigeria fully harness the productivity, innovation, and economic growth that 5G technology promises.

New data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveals that monthly data usage jumped from 518,000 terabytes in January 2023 to over 1.23 million terabytes by November 2025, a massive 140% increase.

This surge in mobile data usage is being fueled by a significant shift in connectivity standards and measurable improvements in network performance across the federation.

The Death of 2G and the Rise of 4G

For the first time, 4G has firmly established itself as the primary gateway to the internet for Nigerians.

The technology now accounts for approximately 52% of all mobile connections, officially overtaking 2G, which has declined to 38%.

This transition is not just about coverage; it is about speed. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the NCC recorded significant performance gains:

• Median 4G download speeds rose by 24%, moving from 16 Mbps to 20 Mbps.
• Average 4G download speeds increased by 18%, climbing from 28 Mbps to 33 Mbps.

For 5G, the Commission reported that the technology expanded to roughly 13% of the population and continuing to grow.

Infrastructure Powering the Surge

Dr. Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, attributed these gains to aggressive infrastructure deployment.

Throughout 2025, telecom operators deployed or upgraded over 2,800 sites nationwide, strengthening both coverage and capacity.

Furthermore, the expansion is being bolstered by “Project BRIDGE,” a national digital infrastructure effort championed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. The initiative aims to accelerate the deployment of 90,000km of fibre optic cable to serve as Nigeria’s digital backbone.

Challenges Amidst Growth

Despite the positive data, the NCC acknowledges that the “surge in demand places significant strain on networks”.

Many consumers still grapple with inconsistent service quality, congestion in high-traffic urban areas, and outages caused by infrastructure damage or power challenges.

Operators also face persistent hurdles, including:

• Rising operating costs and logistics constraints.
• Right-of-Way (RoW) issues at the subnational level.
• Persistent vandalism and theft of telecommunications equipment.

2026 Outlook: A $1 Trillion Ambition

The current momentum aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which targets a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030.

“Our shared expectation is simple: better services that people can feel,” stated Dr. Maida in the Commission’s 2026 outlook. For the coming year, the NCC has pledged to focus on “Quality of Experience,” ensuring that as 5G coverage (currently at 13%) continues to grow, the foundational 4G networks used by the majority of Nigerians remain resilient and affordable.

Even with 88% of the population being covered by terrestrial networks, millions are stranded in the digital dark. Airtel Africa, in partnership with SpaceX, says that changes next year.

Speaking at a press conference held on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO of Airtel Nigeria, expanded on the earlier announcement  that Airtel Africa would deploy Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity across its 14 markets. 

“This provides satellite connectivity across all our 14 markets of Airtel Africa, serving about 174 million customers. Airtel Nigeria will launch this service in 2026, providing data for select applications, text messaging, and USSD services,” Balsingh said.

This is a calculated strike at the incessant gaps in Nigeria’s digital sector. Fibre vandalism, inaccessible terrain, and low-density rural populations have long made network expansion expensive and slow. “Some areas are deserts, mountains, or simply too remote for fibre. Satellite connectivity ensures reliable access wherever you go, irrespective of geography,” Balsingh further noted.

Starlink’s first-generation and next-generation satellites will bring high-speed mobile broadband, ensuring smartphone users can access WhatsApp, mobile money, and essential apps even where no terrestrial network exists. 

Airtel Nigeria becomes the first operator in the country to offer this service, powered by 650 satellites for seamless coverage.

Who Benefits?

The press conference also addressed the question of who benefits? Balsingh explained, “It will be a combination of both. While deep rural areas have lower smartphone penetration, there is still a significant population. Connectivity will serve local communities and travellers alike,” he said. Farmers, traders, and seasonal workers can remain connected when moving between towns and remote villages.

Technological advances now make this leap feasible. A decade ago, satellite internet was expensive and impractical for mobile use. Today, falling device prices and SpaceX innovations bring it within reach. 

“Technology moves forward. Today, around 50–55% of our customers use smartphones, up from single digits a decade ago. SpaceX’s innovations make satellite mobile connectivity realistic and scalable,” Balsingh noted.

Airtel Africa is doubling down on investments alongside Starlink. Over the past six months, 700 new sites were rolled out, 99% 4G-ready, while preparations for 5G deployment continue. Home broadband solutions, including Smart Connect outdoor units, will complement mobile coverage, bringing fibre-like connectivity into homes in urban and semi-urban areas.

Beyond coverage, resilience is an indispensable goal. When fibre is cut or vandalised, satellite connectivity acts as a reliable fallback. “This is a big boon for rural markets. We have to ensure the service is well deployed and people don’t feel a difference as they switch seamlessly between these technologies.”

For Airtel Africa, Balsingh stressed that the Starlink partnership isn’t just about technology, but digital inclusion, financial accessibility, and economic empowerment. “We remain committed to our leadership in connectivity innovations that empower individuals, capitalise economic opportunities, and unlock sustainable development.”

Airtel says the Starlink Direct-to-Cell service launch in Nigeria is slated for 2026, pending regulatory approvals, and promises to ensure no community is left disconnected.

The report, released under the Speedtest Awards banner, highlights MTN’s superior performance in download and upload speeds, cementing its leadership in mobile broadband innovation and 5G deployment.

Key Performance Highlights (Q2 2024)

5G Rollout Driving Speed Revolution

MTN Nigeria launched its 5G network commercially in September 2022, covering major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.

The company reportedly invested over $120 million in infrastructure upgrades, spectrum acquisition, and rollout, enabling it to deliver next-generation connectivity to millions of users.

According to Ookla, both Nigeria and Ghana have tripled their median download speeds in just two years, a clear reflection of network modernization and fiber expansion across the sub-region.

Industry Significance

The recognition underscores the role of private sector innovation in driving Africa’s digital transformation.

For consumers, the performance leap means smoother streaming, online gaming, and video calls.
For businesses, it enhances cloud adoption, fintech transactions, and remote operations, critical enablers for a digital economy.

The Road Ahead

As Nigeria’s telecom sector continues to evolve, all eyes are on how competition; Airtel and Mafab will respond to MTN’s dominance in the 5G race. Is there possibility of Glo and 9mobile joining the race too?

The industry regulator – Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and industry stakeholders are also expected to prioritize spectrum availability and rural broadband coverage to sustain this momentum.

Summary of the Report:

In a blog post by the Commission, under a newly signed grant agreement, the collaboration seeks to strengthen the foundation of Nigeria’s fast-growing digital ecosystem by addressing the emerging security risks associated with Fifth-Generation (5G) networks.

5G technology delivers ultra-fast speeds, minimal latency, and the capacity to connect millions of devices simultaneously.

But its complex architecture and the involvement of multiple vendors have also created new challenges around cybersecurity, trust, and network governance.

Through this partnership, the NCC led by Dr. Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman, will develop a risk-based security framework designed to guide the safe design, deployment, and operation of 5G and future network systems across the country.

According to the Commission, ensuring trust and resilience in the telecom infrastructure is crucial as 5G becomes the backbone for critical sectors such as power, healthcare, transportation, and education.

“Security and trust remain central to Nigeria’s digital future,” the NCC noted, emphasizing that the initiative will not only safeguard national interests but also reinforce public confidence in next-generation connectivity.

The collaboration aligns with Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda and demonstrates the government’s commitment to building a secure, inclusive, and globally competitive digital economy.

Built with 96 prefabricated containers in its first phase, the centre is designed with future-readiness at its core, integrating AI-driven energy optimisation, advanced sustainability measures, and robust hybrid cloud capabilities to meet the growing demands of enterprises.

Just this week, the facility earned the prestigious Uptime Institute’s Tier III Certification for Constructed Facility (TCCF), reaffirming MTN’s commitment to world-class standards in reliability, performance, and security.

To understand the vision behind this milestone and how it connects to MTN’s broader digital transformation strategy, Techeconomy sat down with Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief enterprise business officer at MTN Nigeria, to discuss the role of Dabengwa in shaping data sovereignty, empowering businesses, and positioning Nigeria as a digital hub for West Africa.

Excerpt:

TE: What inspired the launch of the Dabengwa Data Centre, and how does it align with MTN’s long-term vision for digital infrastructure in Nigeria and West Africa?

Lynda Saint-Nwafor (LSN): The Dabengwa Data Centre is about data sovereignty, scale, and sustainability. It’s designed to keep Africa’s data in Africa while enabling businesses to scale securely. For MTN, it aligns with our vision to be the leading digital solutions provider across Africa, building infrastructure that supports long-term economic transformation.

TE: What makes the Dabengwa Data Centre unique in terms of scale, design, and technology? How does it compare to global standards?

LSN: Dabengwa is Nigeria’s largest prefabricated modular Tier III facility with a 9MW capacity, fully expandable to Tier IV. It meets global benchmarks for uptime, energy efficiency, and compliance, while being locally built and maintained.

TE: How will this data centre enhance data sovereignty, storage reliability, and local cloud hosting capabilities for businesses?

LSN: Hosting locally means lower latency, faster response times, and compliance with Nigeria’s data regulations. More importantly, it gives Nigerian businesses control, keeping sensitive financial, health, and government data within national borders.

TE: Can you speak to the sustainability and energy efficiency measures integrated into the modular design?

LSN: Absolutely. Modular design means we scale as demand grows, reducing wasted energy. The facility also integrates advanced cooling and power systems that lower the carbon footprint, reflecting MTN’s Net Zero 2040 commitment.

TE: How does this infrastructure position Nigeria as a digital hub for West Africa?

LSN: With Dabengwa, Nigeria has the capacity to host, store, and process data not just for local enterprises, but for regional clients. It’s a step towards making Nigeria the digital backbone of West Africa.

TE: What specific gaps or challenges in the startup ecosystem is this programme designed to address?

LSN: African startups are brilliant at innovating, but many struggle with scaling. The Cloud Accelerator addresses gaps in infrastructure, mentorship, and market access, giving founders the tools and platforms to move forward.

TE: How does the programme support startups in sectors like fintech, health tech, and agritech, especially in cloud adoption? Any consideration for media startups?

LSN: Every startup needs infrastructure that scales. Whether it’s payments, health records, or agri-data, our APIs and cloud solutions enable them to operate faster and securely. And yes, media and creative startups are welcome, because they, too, depend on scalable digital platforms.

TE: Beyond cloud infrastructure, what mentorship, funding, or market access opportunities are available to the startups?

LSN: Founders get direct mentorship from experts in Africa’s tech ecosystem, access to funding opportunities, and the chance to integrate with MTN’s platforms, unlocking real customers and revenue pathways.

TE: How are you identifying and selecting high-potential startups across Africa, and what is your vision for scaling their innovations globally?

LSN: We focus on growth-stage startups with live products and proven traction. Our vision is to help them mature in Africa, and then scale their innovations globally through MTN’s network of partners.

TE: How do initiatives like Dabengwa and the Cloud Accelerator fit into MTN’s broader digital transformation agenda?

LSN: They’re at the heart of it. Infrastructure without innovation is wasted capacity. By combining both, we’re building a pipeline for digital transformation that supports enterprises, startups, and national economies.

TE: MTN has long been a telecoms leader. How are you evolving to become a digital ecosystem enabler?

LSN: We’re moving from simply providing connectivity to enabling the entire digital value chain, infrastructure, platforms, and ecosystems. This is how we stay relevant in Africa’s future.

TE: How is MTN supporting digital inclusion among underserved communities, particularly youth and women-led enterprises?

LSN: Inclusion is non-negotiable. Through tailored SME packages, digital skills training, and now the Accelerator, we are ensuring women and young people are not left out of the digital economy.

TE: Can you share insights into MTN’s investment roadmap for emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, or 5G?

LSN: These technologies are already on our roadmap. Our infrastructure is being built to support AI-driven analytics, IoT deployment across industries, and 5G-enabled enterprise solutions.

TE: What should we expect next from MTN Nigeria in terms of innovation, enterprise partnerships, and ecosystem development?

LSN: Expect deeper partnerships, more platforms, and sustained investment in infrastructure. Our commitment is simple: enabling Africa’s digital future, one innovation at a time.

Analysis of NCC’s industry statistics as of June 2025 shows that Nigeria recorded 2,092.86% 5G growth in the last one year, increasing from 0.14 per cent recorded in June 2024 to 3.07 per cent in 2025.

However, despite its upward curve, 5G still lags far behind 4G, which continues to dominate the market, while legacy 2G and 3G networks remain surprisingly resilient.

Nigeria’s three licensed and active 5G operators are MTN, Airtel, and Mafab Communications. MTN pioneered the rollout in September 2022, Airtel followed in June 2023, while Mafab began deploying its services later that year.

Although all three have continued expanding coverage, adoption has been sluggish, hindered largely by the high cost of 5G-enabled devices and the significant expenses of infrastructure deployment.

The Numbers Behind the Shift

5G: Market share climbed from 0.96% in Nov 2023 to 3.07% by Jun 2025, more than tripling in 19 months.

4G: The clear leader, rising from 29.91% in Nov 2023 to 50.80% in Jun 2025, now accounting for half of all connections in Nigeria.

2G: Declined steadily from 59.32% in Nov 2023 to 38.47% in Jun 2025, but still represents nearly 4 in 10 connections.

3G: Fell modestly from 9.90% in Nov 2023 to 7.66% in Jun 2025, as users migrate to 4G and 5G.

Trend Analysis

5G’s Growth: Uptake is encouraging but slow, limited by device affordability, coverage gaps, and rollout costs. Moving from under 1% in 2023 to just over 3% in mid-2025 shows progress, but mass adoption remains distant.

4G’s Dominance: Its rise past the 50% mark in May 2025 underscores Nigeria’s strong appetite for data services, as telcos aggressively expand LTE coverage and bundle affordable data plans.

2G’s Persistence: Despite rapid decline, 2G remains the fallback for voice and basic connectivity, especially in rural areas.

3G’s Decline shows the technology is losing relevance as operators and consumers leapfrog directly from 2G to 4G/5G.

What This Means for Nigeria’s Digital Future

Bridging digital divide: hence the coexistence of high 2G usage alongside growing 4G and emerging 5G highlights Nigeria’s urban-rural connectivity gap.

Government initiatives through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on spectrum allocation, infrastructure sharing, and affordable devices will be crucial to accelerate 5G uptake.

As 4G reaches maturity, operators will need to position 5G as a mass-market service, not just a premium urban option.

Wider 5G adoption could unlock opportunities in fintech, e-health, IoT, and smart cities, but only if rollout challenges are addressed.

While Nigeria’s 5G journey is gathering pace, the NCC statistics reveal that the country is still firmly a 4G nation, with 2G lingering as a legacy safety net.

The next two years will be critical in determining whether 5G remains a niche service or becomes the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy.