MTN Nigeria leads the number of subscribers porting in with an average of 62% annually, peaking at 5,551 in January 2025

Key takeaways:

  • MTN continuously received the most ported-in subscribers, particularly from 2023 to 2025.
  • MTN ported-in subscribers increased from 616 in June 2021 to 5,551 in January 2025.
  • Airtel subscribers from other networks expanded from 360 to 2,414 port-ins (567%) throughout the same period.
  • Airtel experienced significant growth in August-September 2024 and January 2025, with over 2,000 port-ins monthly.
  • Globacom's performance remained low, with fewer than 1,000 port-ins throughout the period.
  • The high number of subscribers switching to MTN indicates a stronger customer preference for MTN, most likely owing to perceived quality or promotional incentives.

MTN Nigeria led in subscriber port-in traffic between June 2021 and April 2025, attracting most mobile users who switched from other networks. The rising trend began initially but picked up dramatically around mid-2023, most likely due to network upgrades, pricing schemes, or dissatisfaction with competing providers.

Airtel experienced incredible growth, particularly since mid-2024. From 698 users in June 2024, the number rose to 2,414 by January 2025. This growth moved Airtel closer to MTN's inflow levels, indicating successful competitive strategies, service advancements, customer engagement, or market campaigns.

The lowest port-in activity during the entire period was reported by Globacom, indicating a lack of traction among users switching networks. Even its biggest monthly results were modest compared to MTN and Airtel's peaks.

Source:

Nigerian Communications Commission

Period:

June 2021 – April 2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Starlink is becoming more affordable in Africa, with monthly plans in Zimbabwe, Ghana and Kenya costing less than half of traditional internet providers
  • Starlink is cheaper than traditional ISPs in five out of the twelve African countries analysed.
  • Zimbabwe has the widest price gap, with traditional ISPs costing over 21 times more than Starlink.
  • Nigeria currently offers the cheapest traditional ISP plan at $9.59, undercutting Starlink’s price by a wide margin.
  • In Ghana and Kenya, Starlink’s monthly subscription is less than half the cost of the leading ISPs.
  • Only slight differences exist between Starlink and traditional ISP prices in Zambia and Botswana, indicating near-parity.
  • Mozambique and Cape Verde have moderate Starlink price advantages, suggesting potential for market competition.
Uganda and Mauritius offer Africa’s cheapest 1GB data at $0.02 while Madagascar ranks highest in the top 20 at $0.32
  • Uganda and Mauritius offer the most affordable mobile data in Africa, with 1GB for just $0.02 over a 30-day period.
  • Comoros, Ghana, and South Africa also rank among the cheapest, each offering 1GB of data for $0.07 to $0.10.
  • Nigeria is among the top 10, with a relatively low cost of $0.13 per 1GB, placing it below the continental average.
  • Madagascar, at $0.32 per 1GB, closes out the top 20, which reflects the upper boundary of affordable data across African nations.
Globacom’s average internet subscriber base fell by almost 64% in 2025, down to 15.8 million from its 2023 peak
  • MTN remains the market leader, growing from 26 million subscribers in 2013 to 75 million by early 2025.
  • MTN's market share was 53.10% in early 2025, with over 75 million active data subscribers.
  • Airtel saw consistent growth, rising from 8.2 million in 2013 to 48.7 million in 2025, now commanding over 34% market share.
  • Globacom’s data subscriber base peaked in 2023 at 43.7 million but fell sharply by 2025 to 15.8 million.
  • 9mobile's market share in 2025 dropped to just 1.29% from its 2016 peak of 16.31%.
  • Globacom’s market share dropped significantly from its peak of 29.27% in 2017 to 11.16% in 2025.
  • Airtel doubled its market share from 18% in 2013 to 34% in 2025.
  • 9mobile's data subscriber base crashed by 88% from its 2016 peak to less than 2 million in 2025.
4G now accounts for about half of Nigeria’s mobile network market as of April 2025; 5G grows slowly
Key Takeaways:
  • The Nigerian subscribers' preference trend shows their acceptance of faster networks.
  • 2G's market share dropped significantly from 58.36% in May 2023 to 39.67% in April 2025.
  • 4G adoption rose steadily from 25.06% to 49.27% within the same period.
  • 5G adoption increased by nearly 23-fold from 0.12% to 2.81%, showing the strongest growth rate in the same period.
  • A major transition occurred around May 2024 when 4G adoption jumped from 34% to 43%.
  • 3G gradually declined from 16.46% in May 2023 to 8.25% in April 2025.
Globacom's internet subscriber base dropped by an average of nearly 64% in 2025 to 15.8 million from its 2023 peak
Key Takeaways:
  • MTN remains the market leader, growing from an average of 26 million subscribers in 2013 to an average of 75 million by early 2025.
  • The average active data subscribers for MTN was over 75 million in early 2025.
  • Airtel saw consistent growth, rising from 8.2 million in 2013 to 48.7 million in 2025, on average.
  • Globacom’s average data subscriber base peaked in 2023 at 43.7 million but fell sharply by 2025 to 15.8 million.
  • 9mobile's average data subscriber base in 2025 dropped to just 1.8 million from its 2016 peak of 15.2 million.
In 2025, 9mobile only added 1-3 new members each month through porting, compared to a peak of 324 in 2022, representing an almost 100% reduction
Key Takeaways:
  • In June 2022, 9mobile recorded a peak of 324 port-ins.
  • The lowest port-in figure during the period was recorded in February 2025, with only one subscriber.
  • In June 2021, 9mobile received 191 new ported-in users, which decreased to 3 by April 2025.
  • Monthly port-in numbers have been progressively dropping, from a three-digit to a single-digit level by 2025.
  • A slight recovery was observed in May 2024 (226), but it was not sustained.
  • By early 2025, port-ins dropped to as low as 1-3 per month.
  • This trend is consistent with a sharp decline in its subscriber base.
  • Compared to other service providers, 9mobile has struggled to attract and maintain switching clients.
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