Last updated: 4 May 2025 Update History
Report Status: Current
Report Pages: 282
Analyst: Henry Lancaster
In recent years Nigeria’s telecom sector has benefitted from a range of regulatory measures aimed at improving competition and developing infrastructure. The government’s aim to increase broadband penetration to 70% by the end of 2025 as part of a national broadband plan remains ambitious, given that the penetration rate was only 45% as of the beginning of 2025. Broadband services are predominantly delivered via mobile networks, but while there is some investment in fibre infrastructure one promising platform is satellite connectivity. SpaceX launched commercial services in February 2023, providing national coverage with download speeds vastly superior to the national average. Other satellite options also exist, including services provided by the ISP Tizeti based on Eutelsat’s Ka-band connectivity (Konnect), and the NigComSat 2 satellite which delivers 5G backhaul services for MNOs.
The government’s 5G policy has been supported by the award of spectrum. Airtel Nigeria and MTN Nigeria have launched commercial services, though with limited reach, while Mafab Communications expected to follow suit by mid-2025. The regulator estimated that there were some 4.39 5G subscribers as of January 2025, giving the technology a 2.6% share of the mobile subscriber base.
The sector continues to face economic challenges, notably from unfavourable foreign exchange conditions which have made the country less attractive to foreign investors, and by the plethora of taxes for telecom services. The regulator has been pressed to abolish some taxes, including a 5% levy on mobile services, and in January 2025 it allowed telcos to increase tariffs by up to 50%. This enabled the telcos to address the sharp decline in revenue seen since 2022, which had jeopardised their ability to invest in network upgrades and expansion projects.
Nigerian Telecommunications (ntel, Nitel, Pentascope, Transcorp, M-Tel), Africa Mobile Networks, 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, , Layer3, Airtel Nigeria (formerly Zain, Celtel), 9Mobile (Etisalat Nigeria, EMTS, Mubadala), Visafone, Starcomms (Capcom), Multi-Links, Reliance, Econet Wireless, Vodacom.
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