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Active voice is 224.7 million subscribers in Q4 2023 with Lagos ranking the highest and MTN leads market with 87 million subscribers despite Naira plunge.
By Oluwaseyi Ajadi
Nigeria’s telecommunications sector has experienced a remarkable surge in subscriber numbers during the Q4 of 2023, marking significant growth in both active voice and internet subscriptions compared to the corresponding period in 2022.
RELATED: Nigeria witnesses growth in active voice and internet subscriptions in latest telecom indicators
Despite economic headwinds including shrinking income for millions of subscribers and a worsening foreign exchange (FOREX) that has weakened capacity to import needed telecom equipment, operators still have their network buzzing up.
According to recent data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) regulatory authorities, the total number of active voice subscribers surged to 224.7 million marking a 0.96% growth from the previous year’s figure of 222.5 million.
“The total number of active voice subscribers was 224,713,710 in Q4 2023 from 222,571,568 recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2022, indicating a growth rate of 0.96%,” it stated.
Quarter-on-quarter analysis reveals that active voice subscribers increased by 1.32% from the 221.7 million recorded in Q3 2023.
Similarly, the active internet subscriber in Nigeria showed significant growth, reaching 163.8 million in Q4 of 2023, up from 154.8 in Q4 of 2022, indicating a substantial increase of 5.81%. Quarter-on-quarter, this growth remained robust at 2.29%.
“The telecom sector still offers Nigeria its brightest investment spot and positive economic turnaround. Government needs to address some of the sector’s troublesome challenges as a matter of national urgency,” said Abuja based telecom analyst Nwachukwu Ejiofor.
Lagos leads with 26.7 million subscriptions
Analyzing the distribution of subscribers in terms of geo-location, the report showed that Lagos had the highest number in both active voice and internet subscriptions in the Q4 of 2023 with 26.7 million, followed by Ogun with 13 million subscribers and Kano with 12.3 million subscribers. Conversely, Bayelsa reported the lowest number of active voice subscribers at 1.5 million voice subscribers, followed by Zamfara and Gombe with 2.77 million and 2.78 million subscribers, respectively.
Contrarily, Bayelsa reported the lowest number of active voice subscribers at 1.5 million voice subscribers, followed by Zamfara and Gombe with 2.77 million and 2.78 million subscribers, respectively.
Likewise, in terms of active internet subscriptions, Lagos state maintained its dominance with 18.18 million subscribers, followed by Ogun with 9.5 million subscribers and Kano with 9 million subscribers.
MTN rules with 87 million subscribers despite Naira plunge
MTN maintains its status as the telecommunication service providers with highest share of subscriptions in Q4 2023 despite the Naira plunge. According to the NBS, the telecom giant had the highest share of subscriptions in Q4 2023 with 87 million subscribers.
Foreign currency fluctuation has continued to hit hard on operators including major competitors like Airtel and Globacom but network owners remain optimistic even as they pressure Abuja to address the forex market and tax challenges affecting negatively on earnings.
The surge in subscriber numbers reflects the increasing reliance on telecommunications services, particularly voice and internet, underscoring the vital role of connectivity in today’s digital age.
