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Telecom

Nigeria Records over 4m 5G Subscriptions after 2 Years

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The total number of mobile subscriptions on Nigeria’s 5G network grew to 4.05 million in December 2024, two years after MTN Nigeria first launched the network.

Nigeria Records over 4m 5G Subscriptions after 2 Years

This is as the total number of mobile subscriptions recovered to 164.65 million after a Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) audit crashed subscriptions to 154.63 million in September 2024.

The audit removed 64.37 million lines from the national subscription base between March and September, and while some of these lines were lost due to the completion of the Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) and the National Identification Number (NIN) linkage exercise, most stopped existing because Globacom over-reported its subscriber base by as much as 40 million.

A breakdown of the 164.65 million subscriber base revealed that MTN now has a subscriber base of 84.61 million, Airtel has 56.62 million, 9mobile has 3.28 million, and Glo has recovered to 20.14 million. Most of these connections (47.20 percent) are on 4G network, with those on 5G network only comprising 2.46 percent of the total.

MTN Nigeria and Mafab Nigeria Communications Limited’s 2021 victory at the auction for two available lots of 100 MHz TDD slots of 3.5 GHz band ushered in 5G in Nigeria, with Airtel getting its license in 2022.

The network is meant to usher in faster internet speed in a country where internet consumption has been on a steady climb. Nigeria’s internet consumption rose to an all-time high of 973,455.35 terabytes in December 2024.

According to Karl Toriola, CEO, MTNN, “5G will change everything. It will allow us to connect, create, collaborate, and compete in ways we cannot imagine yet.”

GSMA, the global body for telcos, noted that growing 5G adoption will contribute $10 billion to Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African countries’ economies by 2030, accounting for six percent of mobile’s total economic impact.

South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya are expected to account for more than half of all 5G connections in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. About 30 cities now have 5G, says the NCC.

“Nigeria is still grappling with 5G. I can say that the network is still in less than 30 cities in the country. So, we still have a long way to go. But we have strategies to deploy the service in Nigeria. 4G LTE has not even covered the entire country,” said Ubale Maska, executive commissioner of Technical Standard, NCC.

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, highlighted that the lack of proper infrastructure has slowed 5G growth. “The infrastructure that drives 5G is not something that is across the nation,” he said.

Despite its many promises, 5G is not expected to become the dominant network in Nigeria anytime soon. Up until 2029, 4G is expected to account for the largest portion of mobile subscriptions in the country and across Africa.

“In the pursuit of modernisation and enhanced connectivity, subscribers are constantly migrating toward 4G networks. This trajectory indicates that 4G will be the primary driver for new subscriptions up to the year 2028,” Ericsson said in its latest mobility report.


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Telecom

Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

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Airtel Nigeria has restated its commitment to transparency, customer safety, and regulatory collaboration following recent regulatory enforcement by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

The NCC had served Airtel Nigeria a notice of sanction over some alleged SIM infractions in Kano State and consequently slammed a fine of N104 million on the telecommunications firm.

NCC had in  a letter, addressed to Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, dated May 26, 2025, signed by Chizua Whyte, head, Legal and Regulatory Services, and Mohammed Dari, acting head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement,  on behalf of Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC,  titled: ‘Notice of Sanction: Non-Compliance with SIM Registration Directive in Kano,’ where the infractions were spelt out.

According to NCC, Airtel infractions include unauthorised SIM registrations using 198 unapproved devices, resulting in 8,275 registrations outside the 281 verified Airtel shops; premature activation of 63 MSISDNs prior to proper SIM registration, contrary to the provisions of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022; failure to conduct effective eyeballing, leading to 407 fraudulent SIM registrations with multiple NINs, contrary to the provision of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022 and failure to provide satisfactory explanation for SIM registrations conducted between 12.00 a.m and 6.00 a.m.

On the matter, the letter revealed that there were some letter exchanges and subsequent meetings on the infractions between the telecom regulator and Airtel, starting from January 12, 2025, March 19, 2025, March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025, respectively.

Apparently, after investigations and responses from Airtel, the NCC was not satisfied and this led to the fine of N104 million, which was to be paid within seven days from the date the letter was issued.

Specifically, NCC fined Airtel N5 million, N12 million, N81.4 million and N5 million for the infractions respectively.

Reacting, Airtel, expressed appreciation to the NCC for uncovering the infractions, describing the development as a critical opportunity to strengthen internal processes and further align with national security and regulatory expectations

“We thank the NCC for its vigilance and continued support in protecting the integrity of the telecoms ecosystem. Airtel takes these findings seriously and is already implementing corrective measures,” a spokesperson for the company said.

Only recently, Airtel Nigeria’s CEO recently announced that the company is doubling its investment in the country, focusing on network expansion, fiber-to-the-street rollout, 4G/5G deployment, customer care upgrades, and digital infrastructure security.

These investments reinforce Airtel’s long-term vision of building a resilient and forward-looking telecom network that meets the evolving needs of Nigerians.

“Our systems are constantly evolving to stay ahead of scammers and malicious actors,” the spokesperson added. “This is not just about compliance; it’s about our responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who rely on Airtel daily.”

Airtel Nigeria says it will continue to work closely with the NCC and other arms of government to ensure high standards of service and safety for all telecom users nationwide.

 

 

 

 


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Kenya Beats Nigeria As the Most Progressive ICT Regulation in Africa

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Kenya is celebrating its regulatory ecosystem being ranked as the most progressive in Africa. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ranked the East African country first in its most recent ICT Regulatory Tracker.

ITU’s ICT Regulatory Tracker is an evidence-gathering tool for decision-makers and regulators. It demonstrates the effectiveness of regulatory systems in the age of technology.

The ITU evaluates the design of the national regulatory authority, the scope of the regulatory mandate, the obtaining regulatory environment, and the robustness of the competition framework in member countries.

Kenya received 93 points, up from 92 in 2023, and now leads the continent in best practices for ICT regulations.

Nigeria and South Africa finished second and third, with 92 and 88 points respectively. Malawi, Egypt, Rwanda, Morocco, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Senegal complete the top 10 list.

Globally, Kenya was ranked 20th out of 194 countries covered.Italy led the rankings, with 100 points.

The regulator, Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya, said the achievement underscored Kenya’s commitment to creating a robust, technology-neutral regulatory environment that supports innovation, affordability and access.

Steve Isaboke, permanent secretary for broadcasting and telecommunications, visited CA Centre in Nairobi following the announcement on Thursday.

“The ranking is a clear testament of the excellent work that CA has done in spearheading Kenya’s digital transformation and driving digital access for all,” he said.

“After 25 years, CA’s regulatory regime has attained maturity, and gained global recognition. This ranking shows that the CA staff and leadership are executing their work diligently.”


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MTN’s Female Leadership Surges to 41.4%, Doubles Industry Average

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MTN Nigeria Communications PLC has announced a significant increase in female representation within its leadership, with women now making up 41.4% of its workforce, a notable rise from 38.7% in 2023.

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This figure reportedly doubles the industry average, positioning MTN Nigeria as a frontrunner in gender diversity within Nigeria’s ICT sector.

The company’s recently released 2024 Annual Report highlights its sustained commitment to workplace inclusion and gender equality, aligning with its “Ambition 2025” strategy. Female representation within the executive management team has reached approximately 46.7%.

MTN Nigeria attributes this progress to dedicated initiatives aimed at empowering women professionally. These include the “Women in Tech” programme, which provides targeted upskilling in high-demand fields such as Cloud Computing, Software Engineering, AI/ML, Data Science, and Cyber Security.

The “MTN Y’ello Mums Internship Programme” also supports young mothers in their transition back into the corporate world after career breaks.

Odunayo Sanya, executive director of the MTN Foundation, was recognised as the CSI Personality of the Year at the Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecoms Awards (NTITA), further underscoring the company’s impactful social initiatives.

Additionally, Uto Ukpanah, the company secretary, received the inaugural Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award from the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).

Speaking at a recent conference, Odunayo Sanya, emphasised the importance of balancing profitability and sustainability equation, saying, “Businesses today need to be purpose-driven. While the soul of business is profitability, it is not profitability alone that should matter to stakeholders.”

Uto Ukpanah, added, “Showcasing our corporate values and ethos to the world opens the door for greater collaboration with other organisations, as we believe there’s a lot to learn when we all come together. Governance continues to evolve. The challenges today are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Greater accountability is expected, and companies can only continue to do better.”

The company’s broader efforts in diversity and inclusion have been acknowledged with multiple accolades, including the Corporate Responsibility Award. MTN Nigeria also received the “Employer of the Year” award at the 4th Edition of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Employers’ Excellence Awards.

Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, in the report, reiterated the company’s commitment to building a purpose-driven organisation, emphasising that its success is intrinsically linked to its people and their dedication to a shared vision.

“Since we initiated our culture transformation journey in 2021, our culture transformation has significantly enhanced employee engagement and organisational cohesion. It’s directly strengthened our ability to deliver outstanding business performance and drive sustainable long-term value for all our stakeholders.”


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