Nigeria’s Active Phone Users Drop In H1 2023

The total number of active subscribers for telephone services fell by 2.71 per cent in the first half (H1) of 2023 following a decline in the subscriber base of MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria.

According to data obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission, the total number of mobile subscriptions in the country fell to 219.77 million as of the end of June 2023, from 225.82 million recorded in January 2023.

The loss in subscriber base was attributed to MTN Nigeria (84.66m), while still retaining its spot as the largest telco, lost 7.28 million users million mobile subscriptions in the quarter under review to end the period with 84.66 million, from 91.95 million.

Similarly, the subscribers of Airtel decreased from 60.56 million to 60.19 million, indicating a decline of 373,035 users in the customer base of the telecommunications company.

However, Globacom and 9mobile saw their subscriber base increase as those of MTN and Airtel were dropping in the first half, according to data obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Surprisingly, 9mobile recorded the highest growth in subscriber base after reporting 546,846 telephony users joined its base, which represents a 4.19 percent increase.

9mobile’s total telephony subscriber base rose to 13.57 million during the review period, up from 13.03 million, the NCC data reported.

Globacom also contributed to the subscriber base, reporting it recorded 61.33 million users at the end of June, compared to the 60.33 million subscribers posted in January – this shows Glo’s base rose by 998,994 users.

Teledensity, the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants living within an area, continued its free fall and declined to 115.30 per cent in the second quarter from 118.48 per cent in the first quarter.

The decline in mobile subscriptions has been blamed on the impact of the country’s economic crisis, naira scarcity, and the decline in purchasing power.

Meanwhile, MTN and Airtel had stated, in its second quarter financial report, that it lost N485.69 billion to the recent fall in the naira’s value.