Nigerian Telecoms record 214 million subscribers in 10 months

This represents an increase of 14.35 million when compared to the figure recorded in August.

An NCC report issued in August revealed the number of registered subscribers was 210 million, while a total number of 208 million was recorded in the previous month - July 2022.

According to Telecom companies, the reason for the increased subscriber growth in 2022 can be traced to the increased SIM purchase by subscribers who are trying to find a way out of the restrictions placed on unregistered sim cards by regulatory bodies.

Speaking on the development, Chief Executive Officer, of MTN communications Nigerian limited, Karl Toriola, said, “As a result, the average daily gross connection was 48.1 per cent above the pre-directive level, partly driven by the cohort of subscribers who were initially restricted and opted to register new SIMs.

“Combined with increased usage from the existing base, these have supported an acceleration in the service revenue growth recovery and mitigated the impact of churn on the base.”

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association, GSMA had also, predicted a surge in mobile network subscription levels in the country.

GSMA noted that due to Nigeria's high population base of under-18 citizens, it was predicted that a more significant number of younger customers would cross into adulthood within the period and also have access to gadgets, a move which will translate to having sim cards to go with gadgets.

The association has further predicted that 18 million new subscribers will be added to the country's subscriber base by 2025 as it believes that mobile connectivity will play a crucial role in defining the new normal in the nation.