4G grows by 15% to overtake 2G as Nigeria’s leading mobile generation

Key takeaways

  • The share of 2G has fallen from 60% to 42% in one year.
  • 4G has seen the largest increase among all mobile generations, making it the market leader.
  • 3G has shrunk by 0.5% points while 5G grew by 1.4% over the same period.

In October 2023, Nigeria's telecommunications market was dominated by 2G networks, which held a commanding 60% of the market share. This reflected a continued reliance on older mobile technology, despite the availability of more advanced options.

By October 2024, 4G networks had grown significantly, capturing 43.6% of the market and surpassing 2G as the leading mobile generation. This nearly 50% growth in 4G adoption signals a major shift toward faster and more reliable connectivity, driven by increasing demand for modern telecommunications services.

While 3G saw a slight dip from 9.9% to 9.4%, 5G began to make its mark with a modest 2.3% share by October 2024. The transition from 2G to 4G demonstrates the industry's evolution, with 5G adoption expected to grow as deployment expands in the coming years.

Source:

Nigerian Communications Commission

Period:

2023-2024
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