Recent data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveals that Globacom, a prominent Nigerian telecom provider, has experienced a dramatic drop in its active user base. Following NCC’s recalibration of subscriber records, Globacom’s active user base has plummeted from 62.1 million in March 2024 to just 19.1 million in September.
The NCC’s recalculations reflect a new emphasis on excluding inactive or non-revenue-generating lines. Under these guidelines, users who haven’t engaged in revenue-generating activities like SMS, USSD, calls, or data usage in the past 90 days are no longer counted as active subscribers. This change also aligns with the 2021 rules requiring SIM cards to have verified National Identification Numbers (NIN) to remain active. As a result, Nigeria’s total active subscriptions fell sharply from 217 million in March to 154 million by September.
The NCC’s new measures target accurate subscriber counts by ensuring only actively used lines are counted. Even receiving a call qualifies a line as active, as it generates revenue for the operator. Yet, the revised guidelines revealed inflated figures across the industry, as some operators previously counted inactive lines to boost their market metrics.
How this affected other Telcos
Globacom was particularly affected, seeing 40 million inactive users removed from its reported user base. This reduction has cut its market share considerably. Other telecoms also faced subscriber adjustments: Airtel dropped about 9 million users, bringing its base to 53 million, while recently acquired 9mobile now counts just 3.6 million active users. MTN Nigeria, the market leader, experienced only a minor decrease, retaining a robust 78 million subscribers and solidifying its lead with a 50.5% market share, up from 38% in March.
These NCC-led adjustments underscore the commission’s commitment to transparency, providing a clearer picture of Nigeria’s telecom landscape and reshaping the competitive dynamics among telecom providers.
