MTN Subscriber Base Hits 100.86m, Takes 51.38% Market Share

By Adedapo Adesanya

MTN Nigeria has strengthened its dominance of Nigeria’s telecommunications market after its active subscriptions crossed the 100 million mark in July 2026, according to the latest figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The operator’s active subscriptions rose to 100.86 million in July from 98.64 million in June, giving it a 51.38 per cent share of the country’s 195.11 million active mobile subscriptions.

Airtel Nigeria followed with 66.12 million subscribers, representing 34.44 per cent of the market, while Globacom accounted for 23.68 million subscribers and T2, formerly 9mobile, had 3.54 million.

The figures show that MTN and Airtel jointly controlled more than 85 per cent of Nigeria’s active mobile subscriber base.

MTN began 2026 with about 94.2 million subscribers and added more than 6.6 million lines by July, translating to an average of roughly 31,000 new subscribers daily.

Although its competitors also recorded growth during the period, none matched MTN’s scale.

Nigeria’s total active mobile subscriptions increased by about 2.88 million lines in July from 192.23 million in June, bringing the industry closer to the 200 million-line threshold.

MTN Nigeria’s crossing of the 100 million subscriber mark comes as its revenue profile continues to shift towards data services.

In its first-half 2026 results, data revenue stood at about N1.70 trillion, significantly higher than voice revenue of N993.46 billion.

The operator also recorded a substantial increase in data traffic during the period, putting further pressure on its network capacity and driving the need for continued investment in infrastructure.

MTN is also increasing investment to support its subscriber and data growth. In the first half of 2026, the operator invested N620.5 billion in capital expenditure, excluding lease additions.

Business Post reports that Nigeria’s telecommunications industry is now edging closer to the 200 million subscriber mark, with the national subscriber base reaching 195.11 million. The continued growth in subscriptions highlights the expansion of digital connectivity in the country, while also increasing pressure on operators to sustain infrastructure investment, improve service quality and extend access to underserved areas.