Nigeria’s telecommunications industry moved closer to the 190 million active mobile subscription mark in May, 2026, underscoring the country’s growing appetite for digital services even as operators grapple with rising operating costs and intensifying infrastructure demands.
Latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) show active mobile subscriptions rose to 189.68 million in May 2026, up from 188.01 million in April and 185.72 million in March, adding nearly four million active lines in two months.
The increase pushed Nigeria’s teledensity, the number of active telephone lines relative to the country’s estimated population, to 87.50 percent in May from 86.73 percent in April and 85.67 percent in March.
The figures point to sustained demand for mobile connectivity in Africa’s largest telecom market, where smartphones have become the primary gateway for banking, entertainment, education, healthcare, government services and electronic commerce.
Growth is increasingly being driven by internet usage rather than traditional voice calls.
