Nigeria’s mobile Internet users rise to 88m

Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Internet users in Nigeria have increased to 88.1 million with Instant Messaging Services, social media and cut in cost of Internet driving the trend, New Telegraph has learnt. According to the latest official data obtained from the telecoms industry’s umpire, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), GSM networks, including MTN, Glo, Airtel and Etisalat, have increased their mobile Internet subscriber base by over seven million within the first five months of the year.

From 81.8 million in January, according to the data, the number of GSM Internet subscriptions grew to 83.2 million in February; 85.3 million in March; 86.9 million in April and by the end of May, the figure stood at 88.1 million. Over the five months period, each of the GSM operators accumulated additional mobile Internet subscribers to their networks. Airtel increased its mobile Internet users from 17.6 million in January to 14.9 million in May, representing an increase of 2.7 million additional subscriptions, thereby recording the highest new Internet subscribers during the period.

Also, MTN and Glo tied by increasing their mobile Internet subscriptions by additional 1.7 million each. However, while MTN increased from 39.1 million in January to 40.8 million in May, Glo moved up from 17.6 million in January to 19.3 million by the end of May. Etisalat came fourth by an addition of slightly over 300,000 new mobile Internet subscriptions unto its network. However, MTN Nigeria continues to be the overall leader in terms of the total number of mobile Internet subscriptions each of the service providers has on its network.

Analysis of the official data show that of the 88.1 million mobile Internet subscriptions recorded in May, MTN Nigeria shares 40.3 million; Glo comes second with 19.3 million while Airtel and Etialat hold 17.6 million and 10.3 million respectively. New Telegraph learnt that the explosion in the uptake of smartphones and other low-cost phones that can be used to access the Internet have continued to drive penchant for Internet subscriptions, driven by mobility. Government’s policy on broadband, which is aggressively being driven by the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2013-2018, with the aim of deepening highspeed Internet penetration by 30 per cent in the next four years, is a key factor driving mobile Internet subscription growth in the country. Already, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, has declared that broadband penetration had increased from six per cent in 2013 to reach 10 per cent currently.