Nigeria - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

1 Key statistics

2 Regional Africa Market Comparison

2.1 Market characteristics

2.2 Market Leaders

2.3 Market Challengers

2.4 Market Emergents

2.5 TMI vs GDP

2.6 Mobile and mobile broadband penetration

2.7 Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

3 Country overview

4 Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

4.1 Economic considerations and responses

4.2 Subscribers

4.3 Infrastructure

5 Telecommunications market

5.1 Historical overview

6 Regulatory environment

6.1 Regulatory authority

6.2 Fixed-line developments

6.3 Mobile network developments

7 Mobile market

7.1 Market analysis

7.2 Mobile statistics

7.3 Mobile infrastructure

7.4 Major GSM mobile operators

7.5 Major CDMA mobile operators

7.6 Mobile content and applications

8 Fixed-line broadband market

8.1 Introduction and statistical overview

8.2 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks

8.3 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks

8.4 Other fixed broadband services

9 Fixed network operators

9.1 Nigerian Telecommunications (Nitel)

9.2 Globacom

9.3 VGC Communications

9.4 National Long-Distance Operators (NLDO)

9.5 Mafab Communications

9.6 Fixed-wireless network operators

10 Telecommunications infrastructure

10.1 Overview of the national telecom network

10.2 Backbone networks

10.3 International terrestrial infrastructure

10.4 International submarine infrastructure

10.5 Satellite

10.6 Data centres

11 Appendix Historic data

12 Glossary of abbreviations

13 Related reports

Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities Nigeria 2021 (e)

Table 2 Change in telecom sector contribution to GDP 2012 2021

Table 3 Change in the number of outgoing mobile number portings 2013 2021

Table 4 Growth in the number of active mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027

Table 5 Change in the market share of subscribers by operator (GSM) 2012 2021

Table 6 Change in the number of prepaid mobile subscribers 2012 2020

Table 7 Change in the number of GSM subscribers (million) 2014 2021

Table 8 Growth in SMS traffic 2012 2020

Table 9 Growth in the number of mobile internet subscribers by operator (GSM, million) 2012 2021

Table 10 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers 2012 2027

Table 11 Change in the number of MTN Nigeria's mobile subscriber base 2012 2021

Table 12 Change in MTN Nigeria's financial data (ZAR million) 2012 2021

Table 13 Development of MTN Nigeria revenue by type (ZAR million) 2012 2021

Table 14 Development of MTN Nigeria's financial data (NGN billion) 2017 2021

Table 15 Change in MTN Nigeria's mobile ARPU 2012 2021

Table 16 Change in MTN Nigeria's capex 2015 2021

Table 17 Change in MTN Nigeria's customer voice and data traffic 2015 2021

Table 18 Growth in the number of Airtel Nigeria's mobile subscribers 2012 2021

Table 19 Growth in the number of Airtel Nigeria's base stations 2018 2021

Table 20 Development of Airtel Nigeria's financial data ($ million) 2018 2022

Table 21 Change in Airtel Nigeria's quarterly churn 2018 2021

Table 22 Growth in the number of Globacom's mobile and mobile internet subscriber base (million) 2012 2021

Table 23 Development of Globacom's financial data (NGN million) 2017 2019

Table 24 Change in the number of 9mobile's mobile subscribers (million) 2012 2021

Table 25 Development of 9mobile's financial data (NGN million) 2017 2019

Table 26 Decline in the number of Visafone's mobile subscribers 2013 2020

Table 27 Change in the number of m-payment transactions and value 2012 2019

Table 28 Increase in the number of m-money inter-scheme transactions and value 2017 2020

Table 29 Growth in the number of MTN's M-money subscribers 2018 2021

Table 30 Fixed-line (wired) broadband subscribers 2017 2021

Table 31 Fixed-line (wired) broadband subscribers by operator 2017 2021

Table 32 Change in the market share of fixed-wired broadband subscribers by operator 2017 2021

Table 33 Evolution of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027

Table 34 Growth in the number of VoIP lines by operator 2016 2021

Table 35 Increase in international internet bandwidth in Nigeria 2012 2020

Table 36 Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity 1999 2011

Table 37 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 1998 2011

Table 38 Historic - MTN Nigeria ARPU 2002 2011

Table 39 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate in Nigeria 2000 2015

Table 40 Historic - SMS traffic 2006 2011

Table 41 Historic - International internet bandwidth 2001 2011

Table 42 Historic - CDMA subscribers by operator 2011 2019

Chart 1 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Leaders

Chart 2 Africa Market Leaders global ranking

Chart 3 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers

Chart 4 Africa Market Challengers global ranking

Chart 5 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Emergents

Chart 6 Africa Market Emergents global ranking

Chart 7 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita

Chart 8 Africa Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration

Chart 9 Africa Fixed and mobile broadband penetration

Chart 10 Change in telecom sector contribution to GDP 2012 2021

Chart 11 Change in the number of outgoing mobile number portings 2013 2021

Chart 12 Growth in the number of active mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027

Chart 13 Change in the market share of subscribers by operator (GSM) 2012 2021

Chart 14 Change in the number of prepaid mobile subscribers 2012 2020

Chart 15 Change in the number of GSM subscribers 2014 2021

Chart 16 Growth in SMS traffic 2012 2020

Chart 17 Growth in the number of mobile internet subscribers by operator (GSM) 2012 2021

Chart 18 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers 2012 2027

Chart 19 Change in the number of MTN Nigeria's mobile subscriber base 2012 2021

Chart 20 Change in MTN Nigeria's financial data 2012 2021

Chart 21 Change in MTN Nigeria's voice and data revenue 2012 2021

Chart 22 Development of MTN Nigeria's financial data 2017 2021

Chart 23 Change in MTN Nigeria's mobile ARPU 2012 2021

Chart 24 Change in MTN Nigeria's capex 2015 2021

Chart 25 Change in MTN Nigeria's customer voice and data traffic 2015 2021

Chart 26 Growth in the number of Airtel Nigeria's mobile subscribers 2012 2021

Chart 27 Development of Airtel Nigeria's financial data 2018 2022

Chart 28 Growth in the number of Globacom's mobile and mobile internet subscriber base 2012 2021

Chart 29 Change in the number of 9mobile's mobile subscribers 2012 2021

Chart 30 Change in the number of m-payment transactions and value 2012 2019

Chart 31 Increase in the number of m-money inter-scheme transactions and value 2017 2020

Chart 32 Total fixed-line (wired) broadband subscribers 2017 2021

Chart 33 Fixed-line (wired) broadband subscribers by operator 2017 2021

Chart 34 Change in the market share of fixed-wired broadband subscribers by operator 2017 2021

Chart 35 Evolution of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027

Chart 36 Growth in the number of VoIP lines by operator 2016 2021

Chart 37 Increase in international internet bandwidth in Nigeria 2012 2020

Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa

Exhibit 2 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment

Exhibit 3 Africa Market Leaders and market developments

Exhibit 4 Africa Market Challengers and market developments

Exhibit 5 Africa Market Emergents and market developments

Exhibit 6 Regional FWA licensees

Exhibit 7 Financial bids for Nitel/M-Tel, first and second round ($ million) 2010

Exhibit 8 Regional FWA licensees in Nigeria

Exhibit 9 2Africa landing stations

Nigeria - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Nigeria capitalises on improved internet bandwidth with data centre builds

Nigeria’s international internet capacity increased 60% in 2020, year-on-year, as the country benefitted from upgrades to existing submarine cable networks as well as improved terrestrial connectivity.

In coming years there will be additional capacity available from two more cables, which will help drive down wholesale costs for internet services. In late 2021 it was announced that the 2Africa cable will be extended to the Arabian Gulf, India, and Pakistan, bringing its total length to over 45,000km. A separate cable branch will join extensions to Angola and Nigeria. In addition, the Equiano submarine cable system being built by Google will run from Portugal to South Africa, with landing stations in Nigeria (at Lagos), the DRC, and Namibia. This cable is expected to be lit in late 2022.

Running alongside this improved infrastructure is increased investment in data centres, as Nigeria competes with other countries in the region to establish itself as an ICT hub. Africa Data Centres opened a carrier-neutral data centre (LOS1 Lagos) in November 2021, the first of four planned for the country, while in the following month Open Access Data Centres announced its commitment to invest $500 million to build more than 20 carrier-neutral data centres in the region. Two of these have already been built, one of which is in Lagos.

These developments should also go some way to improving the fixed broadband segment, which remains poorly served. With little fixed infrastructure in place, the vast majority of internet connections are via the mobile platform, and it is the MNOs which will provide most of the connectivity required to meet the government’s target of 70% broadband penetration.