May 30, 2025/CSL Research

The Nigerian telecommunications sector is in the early stages of recovery following a sharp decline in mobile subscriptions over the past year. According to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the total number of active subscriptions fell by 43.43 million—a 20.07% y/y decrease—from 216.38 million in April 2024 to 172.95 million in April 2025.

This significant drop was primarily driven by the enforcement of the NIN-SIM linkage policy, which resulted in the mass deactivation of unverified lines. Despite the sharp annual decline, recent figures suggest a gradual turnaround.

On a month-on-month basis, the sector posted a modest increase of 0.14% in active subscriptions, rising from 172.71 million in March 2025 to 172.95 million in April—an addition of 239,899 subscribers. This subtle but positive shift indicates that telecom operators are beginning to recover from the disruptions caused by the NIN-SIM linkage directive.

Click here to download full report: CSL Nigeria Daily – 30 May 2025 – Telecoms.pdf​