Nigeria’s active mobile subscriptions rose 29% in two years to 200.3 million in September 2026, recovering from the sharp decline that followed the enforcement of the National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM linkage policy.
The rebound, however, remains concentrated among two operators, with MTN and Airtel accounting for about 86% of active connections, leaving Globacom and T2 with a much smaller share of the market.
MTN had 104.6 million active subscriptions in September, while Airtel had 68 million. They collectively accounted for about 172.7 million out of the 200.1 million recorded across the four operators. Globacom had 23.5 million, while T2 had 3.6 million, according to the latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The 200 million mobile subscriptions refer to active phone lines, not that 200 million people own or use mobile phones. One person can have multiple SIM cards, and active connections also include SIMs used in routers and other devices.
The figure marks a new milestone since the full enforcement of NIN-SIM linkage in 2024, which led to a sharp reduction in reported connections. The policy required mobile subscribers to link their phone lines to verified national identity numbers. The policy was introduced in 2020, but its enforcement intensified in 2024 as operators completed the verification and disconnection of lines without valid NIN records.
