Nigeria's active phone lines pass 200 million in September for the first time since the 2024 SIM disconnections
Broadband penetration reaches a new high of 59.05%, though data use dipped from August.
Key findings
- Active subscriptions rose to 200.34 million in September from 197.42 million in August, and are 15.4% higher than a year earlier.
- It is the first reading above 200 million since April 2024, when the count stood at 216.97 million before NIN-SIM barring.
- Broadband penetration reached 59.05%, up from 58.22% in August and 49.34% a year earlier, with 128.02 million broadband subscriptions.
- Data use slipped to 1.73 million terabytes from 1.76 million in August, but was 51.0% above September 2025.
Nigeria's active telephone subscriptions rose to 200.34 million in September 2026 from 197.42 million in August, according to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) figures in Dataminal's telecom dataset. The count is 15.4% higher than in September 2025.
It is the first time the total has been above 200 million since April 2024, when it stood at 216.97 million. The following month, lines that had not been linked to a National Identity Number were barred and stopped counting as active, and the total fell to 172.14 million. That fall reflected a change in which lines count, not customers leaving, so September's figure marks the point at which growth on verified lines has made up most of the ground.
- Active subscriptions
- 200.34 million
- Broadband penetration
- 59.05%
- Teledensity
- 92.41%
- Data used
- 1.73 million TB
Broadband reaches another high
Broadband penetration, broadband subscriptions per 100 people, rose to 59.05% from 58.22% in August and 49.34% a year earlier, the highest in NCC's monthly series. Broadband subscriptions reached 128.02 million and internet subscriptions 160.91 million. Teledensity rose to 92.41% from 80.05% in September 2025.
Data consumption was the exception. Subscribers used 1.73 million terabytes in September, slightly less than the 1.76 million in August, though still 51.0% more than a year earlier.
Why it matters
A larger base of verified subscribers is the market that operators, banks and fintechs that rely on mobile lines are selling to. Rising broadband penetration widens the audience for data services, while September's small dip in data use is worth watching after months of fast growth.
What to watch
- NCC's October figures, and whether data use resumes its growth.
- How the gains split between operators, in Dataminal's operator breakdown.
- Any revision NCC makes to the September figures in its next monthly file.
Methodology
All figures are NCC's, as held in Dataminal's telecom dataset; NCC restates its history each month, and the figures are the newest published values. Annual changes compare September 2026 with September 2025. The comparison with April 2024 and May 2024 spans the NIN-SIM disconnection, a change in which lines count as active, described in the dataset's methodology notes.