9mobile's subscriber base declined from a peak of 23.5 million in September 2015 to less than 3 million by April 2025, representing an 87.4% loss

Key takeaways:

  • In September 2015, 9mobile had a peak subscriber base of 23.49 million.
  • After reaching that peak, its subscriber base fell steadily in late 2015.
  • The most drastic reduction happened between February and April 2024, with nearly 5 million customers lost in just three months.
  • 9mobile has lost more than 20 million customers since its peak in September 2015.
  • More than 10 million subscribers were lost between January and April 2025 (>78%).
  • 9mobile customers increased significantly until 2015, then steadily declined, with a steep reduction after 2023.
  • The subscriber base was mostly steady from January 2020 to February 2024.

Between 2014 and 2015, 9mobile saw strong subscriber growth, reaching approximately 23.5 million in September 2015. However, its customer base has been on a decreasing trend since late 2015, with a brief and temporary recovery in late 2018 before continuing its downward trend in mid-2019.

From late 2019, the company's customer base stabilised until January 2024, when it began declining drastically from 13.8 million to less than 3 million by April 2025, representing an 87% loss in just over a year.

This massive loss could be attributed to ongoing service issues, poor customer experience, or competitive pressure from its competitors.

Source:

Nigerian Communications Commission

Period:

May 2014 - April 2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Nearly 2 in 3 active mobile lines in Ekiti are on MTN
  • MTN held more than half of active mobile lines in most Nigerian states as of December 2025.
  • Ekiti recorded MTN’s highest share at 69.6%, followed by Imo at 64.1% and Anambra at 63.4%.
  • Borno was Airtel’s only leading state, with 56.9% of active mobile lines.
  • Globacom did not lead any state, but it had notable shares in Kogi, Edo, Ondo, FCT, and Oyo.
MTN accounts for over half of internet subscriptions in most Nigerian states
  • MTN held over 50% of active internet subscriptions in most Nigerian states as of December 2025.
  • Ekiti had MTN’s highest share at 70.6%, followed by Imo at 64% and Anambra at 63.7%.
  • Borno was the only state where Airtel led, with 56.6% of active internet subscriptions.
  • Globacom did not lead any state, but it had notable shares in Edo, Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Bayelsa.
 
iPhone usage in Africa is just 15%, far below North America’s 60% usage
  • North America leads globally with 60.2% iPhone usage, making it the largest iPhone market.
  • Oceania follows at 58.9%, showing similar consumer preferences to North America.
  • Africa has the lowest iPhone share (14.7%), highlighting a significant adoption gap.
  • Nigeria aligns with the continental trend at 14.1%, reinforcing that the gap is structural, not country-specific.
Card channels were the most susceptible to fraud in Nigerian banks in Q1 2025, with $14.3 billion involved
  • Cards were the most involved in fraud, with ₦14.3 billion representing the most significant exposure among all transaction channels
  • Card transactions also had the highest number of cases (11,972), indicating widespread and frequent attacks
  • Actual losses on cards were 11.5% (₦1.6 billion) of the amount involved, showing that significant financial damage still occurs despite preventive systems
  • Cash fraud accounted for ₦6.8 bn in exposure, nearly half of the card channel’s total
  • Cash also recorded 12.3% (₦800 million) in actual losses
  • Cheques had the lowest fraud involvement (₦1.2 billion) and only 46 cases, but the highest actual loss rate (72.7%)
T2 finally gains traction (+677.2k) after years of subscriber decline
  • T2’s subscriber base dropped by over ten million between Oct 2023 and May 2025.
  • The lowest point came in June 2025 with just 2.44 million active users.
  • From that low, subscriptions climbed to 3.11 million by September 2025.
  • The recent 677.2k gain marks the brand’s first positive momentum in years.
  • Despite the rebound, T2’s subscriber base remains less than a quarter of its 2023 size.
Africa's cybersecurity score grew from 21 in 2017 to 57 in 2024, a 171% increase
  • Africa’s cybersecurity score increased by 171% between 2017 and 2024.
  • The continent’s score rose from 21 in 2017 to 57 in 2024
  • Africa has reduced the gap with global averages, reducing the difference from 15 points in 2017 to 9 points in 2024.
  • The global cybersecurity score rose from 36 in 2017 to 66 in 2024.
  • Africa’s most notable leap was between 2021 (35) and 2024 (57), showing accelerated progress in recent years.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved