Globacom leads Nigeria’s internet subscriber growth in May

Globacom recorded the highest increase in internet subscribers among Nigeria’s major telecommunications operators in May, adding about 1.2 million users as the country’s total internet subscriber base grew by 2.67 million.

Latest figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that the number of internet subscribers in Nigeria rose from about 154.3 million in April to approximately 157 million in May.

Globacom accounted for nearly half of the monthly increase, growing its subscriber base from about 15.5 million to 16.8 million during the period.

Airtel Nigeria recorded the second-highest growth, adding about 1.07 million subscribers to reach 55.8 million, compared with 54.8 million in April.

MTN Nigeria added 382,894 internet subscribers, increasing its total from about 83.1 million to 83.5 million.

T2 Mobile, formerly known as 9mobile, recorded no growth for the second consecutive month, with its internet subscriber base remaining at 802,534.

The stagnation comes nearly a year after the NCC approved a national roaming agreement between T2 Mobile and MTN Nigeria, allowing T2 subscribers to access MTN’s network in areas where the operator has limited coverage.

The latest figures indicate that the roaming arrangement has yet to translate into significant subscriber growth for T2 Mobile, as its larger competitors continue to expand their user bases.

Globacom’s latest performance has also narrowed the gap between the operator and its larger rivals, while Airtel’s strong growth points to intensifying competition for Nigeria’s expanding internet market.

Industry sources attributed Globacom’s surge to its ongoing infrastructure renewal and expansion programme, which began last year.

The project includes the deployment of thousands of new base stations to extend coverage to underserved locations and strengthen network capacity in areas with growing populations.

Globacom is also expanding its fibre-optic network and relocating infrastructure affected by road construction projects across the country.

The company has further deployed thousands of 4G LTE sites in major cities and other locations this year, a move it said has improved connectivity, network reach and customer experience across urban and rural communities.