Nigeria’s Expanding Digital Reach Meets A Tougher Stance On The Shadow Networks That Fuel Illicit SIM Use

Nigeria’s telecom regulator is widening its campaign against illicit SIM activity at a moment when the market itself is swelling. New figures show millions of fresh SIMs prepared for activation in September alone. The surge underlines the scale of the task as authorities try to curtail abuses tied to identity fraud, financial crime, and untraceable mobile lines.

Officials at the Nigerian Communications Commission say their next steps will involve tougher inspections, firm penalties for negligent operators, and tighter links with security agencies. The plan points to a sector under pressure, caught between rapid user growth and a persistent trade in pre-activated cards that thrive in informal stalls.

Sharp Growth In SIM Activations And Data Lines

The NCC recorded 1.97 million newly unwrapped SIM cards in September 2025. That wave pushed active voice lines to 173.54 million, up on August’s 171.57 million tally. Teledensity inched to 80.05 per cent during the same period, a slight rise that reflects the steady march of new users into the system.

The upward pattern extended to internet subscriptions. Connections lifted to 140.4 million in September, a modest climb that signals ongoing appetite for mobile data. Broadband lines rose as well, reaching 106.97 million. Penetration now sits at 49.34 per cent. This level still trails the government’s near-term broadband target by a significant margin, yet it shows a network moving ahead despite logistical hurdles.

Nigeria’s Network Mix And Operator Landscape

The latest snapshots detail a market shaped by a wide spread of technologies. 4G sits at the core with slightly more than half the active user base. 2G still accounts for a large share. 3G and 5G remain smaller, although both hold their own niche within dense urban corridors.

In the carrier rankings, MTN leads with more than 90 million active lines and a dominant slice of the market. Airtel follows with nearly 60 million. Globacom sits next with a much smaller base. T2, once on the edge of irrelevance, shows a slow climb as its user count edges above three million.

Data traffic tells another story. Usage dipped slightly in September, reversing the gain recorded a month earlier. The change is small, yet it hints at shifting consumption patterns as users weigh prices, speeds, and promotional bundles.

A Parallel Study Places MTN On Top Of Speed Rankings

A fresh analysis by Ookla paints a clear picture of network performance across sub-Saharan Africa. The study rates MTN operations in Uganda, Nigeria, and Botswana at the upper edge of the region, with median 5G download speeds that break past the 200 Mbps mark. Airtel, Orange, Safaricom, and Vodacom form the next cluster, each with notable bandwidth yet below the MTN trio’s pace.

Other operators in Tanzania and Kenya sit lower on the speed curve. Their median results are far more modest, shaped by investment cycles, spectrum access, and energy constraints that limit network expansion.

Ookla notes that the region remains attractive to global telecom groups. A young population, wider digital use, and rising financial services keep interest high. Yet operators also face currency volatility, weaker consumer spending, and policy changes that affect interconnect fees and revenue models.

Regulatory Pressure Meets A Market That Refuses To Sit Still

Against this backdrop, Nigeria’s regulator is pushing harder on compliance. Illicit SIM circulation remains a resilient trade. Small dealers keep stock that bypasses the official user registration process. Some customers prefer instant connectivity without long queues at ID centers. Those shortcuts erode the integrity of the national identity registry that anchors Nigeria’s SIM-NIN policy.

Call masking and refiling add further complications. Both cloak caller identity and distort traffic paths. These practices frustrate investigators and offer cover for criminal activity. The commission believes stronger field patrols and coordinated investigations can limit such tactics.

A Sector Growing Faster Than Its Safeguards

Nigeria’s telecom market continues to expand at a pace no regulator can ignore. New SIM activations keep rising. Broadband lines stretch deeper into cities and towns. Network speeds in several MTN markets highlight the region’s growing technical ceiling. Yet the same pace creates gaps that illicit actors exploit.

The coming months will reveal whether intensified checks can anchor a more reliable system or whether the industry’s growth will outrun enforcement yet again.

Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent.

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