By Kingsley Samuel
Nigeria’s telecommunications industry maintained steady growth in the fourth quarter of 2025, with active voice subscriptions rising to 179.6 million and internet users climbing to 148.2 million, reflecting continued expansion in digital connectivity across the country.
Data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, and the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, showed that active voice subscriptions stood at 179,642,333 in Q4 2025, representing an 8.92 percent increase from 164,926,599 recorded in the same period of 2024.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, voice subscriptions grew by 3.52 per cent, indicating sustained demand for mobile communication services.
The report also showed strong growth in internet usage, with active subscriptions rising to 148,166,926 in Q4 2025, up from 139,282,108 in Q4 2024, representing a 6.38 per cent year-on-year increase.
Quarter-on-quarter, internet subscriptions grew by 5.12 per cent, underscoring Nigeria’s deepening reliance on digital services for communication, business and entertainment.
A state-by-state analysis showed that Lagos State remained the country’s telecom hub, recording the highest number of active voice subscriptions at 21,575,253.
It was followed by Kano State with 11,261,625 and Ogun State with 10,254,558.At the lower end, Bayelsa State recorded the least number of active voice subscriptions with 1,187,597, while Ebonyi State and Ekiti State followed with 1,678,094 and 1,687,029 respectively.
The same trend was observed in internet subscriptions, where Lagos again led with 18,597,444 users.
Kano followed with 9,166,953, while Ogun recorded 8,881,234 subscribers.Bayelsa State had the lowest internet penetration with 1,010,052 users, while Ebonyi and Ekiti recorded 1,350,111 and 1,439,813 subscribers respectively.
At the operator level, MTN Nigeria maintained its dominant position in the market, accounting for the largest share of both voice and internet subscriptions.
The operator recorded 93,064,952 active voice subscribers and 79,865,690 internet users during the period under review, reinforcing its lead in Nigeria’s highly competitive telecom sector.
The overall growth reflects continued expansion of mobile connectivity in Nigeria, driven by rising data consumption, increased smartphone penetration and growing reliance on digital platforms for economic and social activities.
