After 70m SIM Disconnections, Nigeria’s Active Mobile Lines Rebound to 200m

Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has regained the 200 million active mobile subscription milestone, nearly two years after the Federal Government’s National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM verification exercise forced the disconnection of tens of millions of telephone lines across the country.

Latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that active mobile subscriptions reached 200,337,097 in September 2026, representing a significant recovery from the disruptions caused by the nationwide SIM registration and identity verification exercise.

According to industry reports, the milestone marks the first time Nigeria’s active mobile subscription base has crossed 200 million since the regulatory enforcement exercise significantly reduced the country’s telephone connections.

Under the policy, telecommunications operators were directed to ensure that every active SIM card was linked to a verified National Identification Number.

By December 2023, Nigeria had approximately 224.7 million active telephone lines. The figure subsequently declined sharply following the enforcement exercise, with industry data showing that millions of connections were removed from telecommunications networks.

The scale of the disruption became particularly evident in 2024, when operators disconnected or barred tens of millions of lines that had failed to meet the verification requirements.

The exercise reportedly resulted in approximately 59.7 million telephone lines being removed during the NIN-SIM verification clean-up.

Within the first nine months of 2026, the industry recorded more than 18 million additional active connections, bringing the total above the 200 million threshold.

The development also pushed Nigeria’s teledensity to 92.41 per cent, according to the September statistics.

Teledensity measures the number of active telephone connections relative to the country’s population. However, it does not represent the percentage of Nigerians with unique mobile subscriptions, as individuals can own and operate multiple SIM cards across different networks.

Further analysis of the September figures showed that fourth-generation (4G) technology accounted for approximately 54.3 per cent of mobile network connections, highlighting the growing importance of high-speed internet services in the country’s telecommunications market.

The expansion comes as Nigerians increasingly depend on mobile networks for banking, business transactions, education, entertainment, social media and access to essential digital services.

The growth in active connections also does not necessarily translate into universal internet access, as millions of Nigerians still face barriers to smartphone ownership, affordable data and reliable broadband connectivity.

The return to 200 million active mobile subscriptions represents an important milestone for Nigeria’s digital economy, particularly as the Federal Government pursues policies aimed at expanding broadband penetration and increasing digital participation.

With mobile connectivity playing an increasingly important role in commerce, financial inclusion and public services, the next challenge will be ensuring that the expansion translates into affordable, reliable and meaningful digital access for more Nigerians.

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