With 12,690 new subscribers in Q4 2023, Starlink becomes Nigeria's 3rd largest internet service provider

In Q4 2023, Spectranet maintained its top position as Nigeria's biggest internet service provider with nearly 114k active subscribers, holding 43% of the market share. FiberOne followed with 10% of the market.

Starlink increased its subscriber base by 113% to claim the 3rd position with 9% of the market.

Here are Nigeria's top internet service providers by active subscribers in Q4 2023.

Source:

Nigerian Communications Commission

Period:

Q4 2023
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9mobile’s half-year net porting loss jumped from over 5,100 in 2021 to nearly 28,800 in 2024
  • From H2 2013 to H1 2020, 9mobile gained more subscribers from other networks than it lost.
  • From H2 2021 onward, more subscribers left 9mobile for other networks than joined.
  • Net half-year losses grew from about 5,143 in H2 2021 to 28,735 in H2 2024.
  • Outgoing ports peaked at 28,885 in H2 2024, the highest half-year total on record.
Average monthly data use in Nigeria now exceeds 7GB per active internet subscription
  • Per-user data usage more than doubled in 29 months.
  • The surge [was] driven by heavier usage, not more users.
  • February dips and year-end spikes show seasonal habits.
  • 2024 marked a lasting shift to higher monthly data use.
 
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.
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