Nigeria’s adoption of Fifth Generation (5G) technology continues to gain momentum, with about 6.38 million subscribers now connected to the network, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This represents 3.6 per cent of the country’s 177.4 million active telecom subscribers as of November.
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Now in its third year of commercial operation, 5G has attracted nearly $1 billion in spectrum licensing fees, alongside substantial infrastructure investments by major operators, particularly MTN and Airtel. These investments reflect growing confidence in 5G as a key driver of Nigeria’s digital economy.
However, 5G coverage remains limited when compared to older network technologies. MTN currently offers 5G services in states such as Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, Oyo, Kano, Ogun, Delta, Enugu and Edo, while Airtel’s 5G network is available in Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, Ogun and Osun. Even within these states, access is largely confined to major urban centres, leaving rural and semi-urban areas reliant on 4G, 3G and 2G networks.
NCC data shows that 4G remains the dominant technology, serving about 92.2 million users, or nearly 52 per cent of subscribers. This is followed by 2G with 67.9 million users, while 3G serves about 10.8 million subscribers. Many Nigerians use multiple SIM cards, meaning they may be connected to more than one network type.
At the same time, Nigeria is experiencing a surge in data consumption. Monthly mobile data usage recently peaked at about 1.24 million terabytes, and total consumption is projected to exceed 13 million terabytes by year-end, reflecting growth of around 35 per cent.
While 4G remains the backbone of connectivity, 5G is increasingly carrying high-capacity traffic in major cities, even as gaps in access and network quality persist.
