Telecom companies report 2.4% decline in voice subscriptions due to NIN/SIM linkage

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian telecommunications sector recorded a 2.4 percent decline in active voice subscriptions in the first quarter of 2024.

This decline is due to the continued enforcement of the linking policy between the National Identification Number and the Subscriber Identity Module by the Nigeria Communications Commission and the telecommunications companies.

The NBS report shows that the total number of active voice subscriptions decreased from 224,713,710 in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 219,304,281 in the first quarter of 2024, representing a loss of 5,409,429 active voice subscriptions.

Regarding the year-on-year decline, the report highlighted: “The total number of active language participants in the first quarter of 2024 was 219,304,281, a decrease from the 226,161,713 in the first quarter of 2023, representing a growth rate of -3.03 percent.”

According to the bureau, Abia State recorded the largest year-on-year decline of 7.8 percent, from 4,074,115 active subscriptions in the first quarter of 2023 to 3,756,231 in the first quarter of 2024.

Overall, Lagos State topped the list with 18.84 million subscribers, closely followed by Ogun State with 9.53 million. Kano State recorded 9.07 million internet users and Oyo State came in fourth with 11,158,965 active subscriptions.

MTN dominated the Nigerian telecommunications market with 81,799,666 active voice subscriptions, cementing its position as the country’s leading telecommunications provider.

Airtel followed closely behind with 63,357,061 active subscriptions, while GLO came in third with 62,191,448 active voice subscriptions.

EMTS (9mobile) had 11,657,703 active voice subscriptions and SMILE had 175,711 active voice subscriptions in the first quarter of 2024.

The telecommunications regulator has directed mobile network operators such as MTN, Airtel and Globacom to completely suspend all telephone lines whose subscribers have not submitted their NINs by February 28, 2024. In addition, lines whose NINs have been submitted but not verified have also been suspended.

The deadline for blocking lines with an unverified NIN was 29 March 2024 for five or more lines linked to an unverified NIN and 15 April 2024 for fewer than five lines linked to an unverified NIN.

MTN Nigeria said in its financial report for the first quarter of 2024 that 8.6 million lines were blocked, while Airtel Nigeria said about 5.7 million of its subscribers had not yet linked their SIM cards to their NINs.