Nigeria’s telecommunications sector suffered one of its sharpest subscriber corrections in recent history, losing 59.7 million active voice lines in 2024 as operators fully enforced the National Identification Number–Subscriber Identity Module (NIN–SIM) linkage policy.
The figures, released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in its 2024 Subscriber/Network Performance Report, showed that the country’s active subscriber base fell from 224.7 million in 2023 to 164.9 million in December 2024, representing a 26.6 per cent year-on-year decline.
According to the NCC, the steep decline was driven by the mandatory removal of SIM cards not linked to verifiable NINs and the correction of a long-standing subscriber database discrepancy by a major operator.
News360 Info reports that the clean-up followed the Federal Government’s multi-year campaign to link all SIMs to valid NINs, a policy introduced on February 4, 2020 and jointly enforced by the NCC and the National Identity Management Commission.
After multiple deadline extensions between 2023 and 2024, authorities fixed a final cut-off date of September 14, 2024.
From September 15, all SIMs without verified NINs were automatically deactivated.
The policy, the government said, was designed to curb criminal use of anonymous phone lines, strengthen national security and build a more accurate national identity database. It is also expected to enhance service delivery, deepen financial inclusion and support digital payment systems.
Over 126 Million Enrolled in National Identity Database
During the same period, President Bola Tinubu announced that more than 126 million Nigerians had been enrolled in the National Identity Database.
The Federal Government also expanded database capacity from 100 million to 250 million records to remove enrolment bottlenecks and accelerate coverage.
The NCC report noted that teledensity fell sharply, dropping from 103.66 per cent in 2023 to 76.08 per cent in 2024, reflecting the scale of the SIM purge.
Internet subscriptions were also affected, falling from 163.8 million to 139.3 million, a decline of 24.6 million users, or 14.98 per cent within the same year.
Despite the subscriber contraction, the regulator reported notable progress in network coverage:
- Over 95 per cent cellular coverage nationwide
- Broadband penetration rising slightly from 43.71 per cent to 44.43 per cent
- Network access spread: 3G (89%), 4G (84%), 5G (13%)
The NCC attributed the improvements to continuous investment in network infrastructure and spectrum deployment across key urban and rural corridors.
News360 Info reports that the new industry figures show that the market has begun a gradual rebound.
Active telephone subscriptions rose to 173.54 million in September 2025, up from 171.57 million in August, signalling renewed consumer reactivation and market recovery after the 2024 clean-up.
Internet subscriptions on GSM networks also increased to 140.36 million, while teledensity improved slightly to 80.05 per cent, reflecting growing network activity and gradual user return.
