Nigeria telecom market expands as active lines reach 195 million

Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is showing signs of recovery and expansion. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), active telecom subscriptions reached 195.11 million in July 2026, an increase of approximately 2.88 million from the previous month. This growth follows a period of contraction in 2024 caused by the enforcement of linking telephone numbers to National Identification Numbers.

In terms of infrastructure, mobile network operators have deployed 8,526 out of 12,179 committed coverage and capacity sites across the country. This represents roughly 70 per cent of their total commitments and shows significant progress compared to the 5,000 sites reported in previous meetings.

However, the NCC noted that network reliability faces challenges due to frequent fibre optic cuts. These disruptions contributed to a sharp rise in service outages in June, prompting calls for stronger protection of critical communications infrastructure alongside ongoing expansion efforts.