2019 Nigeria - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 20 May 2020 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 189

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Nigeria’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the fixed-line, mobile and broadband sectors. Subjects include:

Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure developments;
Major Players, Revenues, Subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
Mobile Voice and Data Markets;
Broadband (FttP, DSL, cable, wireless);
Mobile subscribers and ARPU;
Broadband market forecasts;
Government policies affecting the telecoms industry;
Market liberalisation and industry issues;
Telecoms operators – privatisation, IPOs, acquisitions, new licences;
Mobile technologies (GSM; 3G, HSPA, LTE, 5G).

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster

Current publication date:- March 2019 (18th Edition)

Executive Summary

Nigeria updates broadband penetration target for 2021

Nigeria has one of the largest telecom markets in Africa, supported by the second largest economy on the continent after South Africa. The economy has recovered from a recent recession, with DGP growth of 1.9% in 2018. This has helped the telecom sector to attract foreign investment, particularly from China, while government infrastructure programs are also stimulating investment.

The regulator has licensed a number of regional infrastructure companies (InfraCos) to build the national broadband network and offer capacity to all service providers on a non-discriminatory, open-access and price-regulated basis. This is helping to boost the country’s fixed-line broadband sector, which has seen considerable consolidation among players in recent years. The government has updated its broadband ambitions, aiming to increase penetration from 30% by 2020 to 70% by 2021 though most connections will be via mobile networks. The sector is still dominated by GSM technology, though a greater reliance on LTE infrastructure is expected in coming years, supported by improved terrestrial fibre networks to provide backhaul for data services

BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.

On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.

Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.

The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.

Key developments:

Globacom commissions the Glo-2 cable system;
Government approves $328 million loan to complete national backbone project;
Regulator licences additional InfraCos;
Government pledges to deploy 18,000km of fibre to extend broadband to rural areas;
Two additional satellites proposed to provide additional capacity to NigComSat;
Swift Networks to add an additional 10,000 hotspots in Lagos, reaching two million people;
Digital broadcasting migration process begins in six states;
MTN and Airtel apply for Payment Service Bank licence;
Government commits to increasing mobile broadband penetration to 70% by 2021;
Disagreements emerge among new shareholders of 9Mobile;
Regulator calls for an additional 80,000 mobile base stations;
Report update includes the regulator’s market data to December 2018, operator data to Q3 2018, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Nigerian Telecommunications (ntel, Nitel, Pentascope, Transcorp, M-Tel), Globacom (Glo Mobile), VGC Communications (MTN Nigeria), Nepskom Communications, MTS First Wireless, Suburban Telecom, Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN), Traffic Network Services, Fibre Tech West Africa, Phase3 Telecom, Alheri Engineering, Mobitel Nigeria, Prestel (O-Mobile), Galaxy Backbone, 21st Century Technologies, Main One (Mainstreet Technologies), Brymedia, NigComSat, O3b Networks, WASACE, Linkserve, Pinet Informatics, Odu’a Telecom, Swift Networks, Startech Connection, Netcom Africa, MWEB Nigeria, Accelon (Internet Solutions), Polestar, Naija Wi-Fi, Suburban Telecom, Zinox, Starcomms, Layer3, Airtel Nigeria (formerly Zain, Celtel), 9Mobile (Etisalat Nigeria, EMTS, Mubadala), Visafone, Starcomms (Capcom), Multi-Links, Reliance, Econet Wireless, Vodacom.

Henry Lancaster
February 2019

Key statistics
Country overview
COVID-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Mobile devices
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Telecommunications market

Historical overview

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority
National Telecommunications Policy (NTP)
Nigerian Communications Act
West African common regulatory framework
Interconnection
Infrastructure sharing
Telecom taxes
Universal service

National Rural Telephony Program (NRTP)
National Information Technology Development (NITD) Fund
Backbone Transmission Infrastructure Project (BTRAIN)

Telecom sector liberalisation

Globacom’s SNO licence
Regional fixed-wireless access (FWA) licences
International gateway licences
Unified licensing regime

Privatisation of Nitel

Fixed network operators

Nigerian Telecommunications (Nitel)

National backbone network
Wireless Local Loop (WLL)

Globacom

Network infrastructure
Fibre optic backbone network
International presence
Services
International expansion

VGC Communications
National Long-Distance Operators (NLDO)
Fixed-wireless network operators

MTS First Wireless
Mobitel Nigeria
Prestel (O-Mobile)
Regional FWA operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
Backbone networks

National Information Infrastructure Backbone (NIIB)
NIPTI
Suburban Telecom
Phase3 Telecom
Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN)
Private networks

International terrestrial infrastructure

The Central African Backbone (CAB)
Nigeria – Niger link
Trans-Saharan Backbone
NNPC network

International submarine infrastructure

SAT-3/WASC
Glo-1
Main One
WACS
ACE
WASACE
2Africa submarine cable

Satellite

Rascom
NigComSat
O3b Networks

Data centres

Broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview

Market analysis
Internet Exchange Points (IXP)
National Broadband Plan
Broadband statistics
Forecasts – broadband subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks

Providers

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Other fixed broadband services

Broadband over Powerlines (BPL)
Fixed wireless

Mobile communications

Market analysis
Mobile statistics

Mobile voice
Mobile data
Mobile broadband
Forecasts – mobile subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023

Regulatory issues

GSM licence terms
Spectrum
Mobile Termnation Rate (MTR)
Mobile tariffs
Unified licensing regime
Universal service
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Quality of Service
SIM card registration

Mobile infrastructure

International gateways
National mobile infrastructure plan
Tower infrastructure
Analogue networks
Digital networks
Other infrastructure developments

Major GSM mobile operators

MTN Nigeria
Bharti Airtel (formerly Zain/Celtel Nigeria)
Globacom
9Mobile (Etisalat Nigeria, EMTS, Mubadala)
M-Tel

Major CDMA mobile operators

Multi-Links Telkom
Reliance Telecommunications (Reltel, Zoom)
Starcomms (Capcom)
InterC Network (Intercellular Nigeria)
Visafone

Mobile content and applications

Mobile money transfer, m-banking
M-health

Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 2 – Telecom sector contribution to GDP – 2010 – 2018
Table 3 – Financial bids for Nitel/M-Tel, first and second round – 2010
Table 4 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1999 – 2009
Table 5 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2010 – 2018
Table 6 – VoIP lines by operator – 2016 – 2018
Table 7 – Fixed-wireless lines by operator – 2014 - 2018
Table 8 – International internet bandwidth in Nigeria – 2001 – 2016
Table 9 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate in Nigeria – 2000 – 2009
Table 10 – Internet users and penetration rate in Nigeria – 2010 – 2022
Table 11 – Fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2007 – 2018
Table 12 – Fixed-line (wired) broadband subscribers by operator – 2014 – 2018
Table 13 – Fixed-wired broadband subscribers by operator – 2017 – 2018
Table 14 – Fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023
Table 15 – Fixed and-fixed wireless broadband lines – 2007 – 2018
Table 16 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1998 – 2009
Table 17 – Mobile subscribers (active) and penetration rate – 2010 – 2018
Table 18 – Mobile market share of subscribers by operator (GSM) – 2011 – 2018
Table 19 – Prepaid mobile subscribers – 2010 – 2018
Table 20 – SMS traffic – 2006 – 2018
Table 21 – Mobile internet subscribers in Nigeria by operator (GSM) – 2012 – 2018
Table 22 – Active mobile broadband subscribers – 2010 – 2018
Table 23 – Forecast mobile subscribers in Nigeria – 2019; 2021; 2023
Table 24 – Annual outgoing mobile number portings – 2013 – 2018
Table 25 – GSM subscribers in Nigeria – 2014 - 2018
Table 26 – MTN mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2018
Table 27 – MTN Nigeria financial data – 2010 – 2018
Table 28 – MTN Nigeria revenue by type – 2015 – 2018
Table 29 – MTN Nigeria ARPU – 2002 – 2018
Table 30 – Airtel mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2018
Table 31 – Globacom mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2018
Table 32 – Etisalat mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2018
Table 33 – 9Mobile mobile revenue and capex – 2013 – 2017
Table 34 – CDMA subscribers by operator – 2011 – 2017
Table 35 – Historic - Starcomms mobile subscribers – 2005 – 2014
Table 36 – Visafone mobile subscribers – 2009; 2013 – 2017

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2005 – 2018
Chart 2 - Internet users and penetration rate in Nigeria – 2000 – 2022
Chart 3 – Fixed-line broadband subscribers by operator – 2014 – 2018
Chart 4 – Mobile subscribers and penetration – 2005 – 2018
Chart 6 – Mobile internet subscribers in Nigeria by operator (GSM) – 2012 – 2018
Chart 7 – GSM subscribers in Nigeria – 2014 – 2018
Chart 8 – MTN Nigeria financial data – 2010 – 2018

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Regional FWA licensees
Exhibit 2 – Regional FWA licensees in Nigeria
Exhibit 3 – 2Africa submarine cable
Exhibit 4 – 2Africa landing stations

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2019 Nigeria - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Nigeria updates broadband penetration target for 2021

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Country overview

COVID-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Broadband market

Mobile communications

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views