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Nigeria’s 5G connections increased by 41 per cent in the year to June 2026, highlighting a gradual shift towards higher-speed mobile networks as consumers and businesses increasingly move away from legacy technologies.
Fifth-generation mobile technology offers faster speeds, lower latency and greater capacity for connected devices. However, its expansion requires significant investment by telecom operators in spectrum, network equipment and supporting infrastructure.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator, showed that 5G accounted for 4.61 per cent of mobile connections in June 2026, up from 3.27 per cent in July 2025. This represents a 40.98 per cent increase over the 12-month period.
4G and 5G strengthen position in Nigeria’s mobile market
The 1.34 percentage-point increase in 5G’s market share coincided with broader migration towards higher-capacity networks.
4G also expanded during the period, while the shares of 3G and 2G continued to decline. The movement points to a structural change in the composition of Nigeria’s mobile connections as newer technologies gradually replace legacy networks.
4G remained the dominant mobile technology, increasing its share to 54.31 per cent in June 2026 from 51.22 per cent in July 2025. This represents a 6.03 per cent increase and a 3.09 percentage-point gain in market share.
The combined share of 4G and 5G consequently rose to 58.92 per cent in June 2026, compared with 54.49 per cent a year earlier.
By contrast, 2G and 3G together accounted for 41.08 per cent of connections, down from 45.51 per cent in July 2025.
3G records sharpest decline
The migration towards newer networks was most pronounced in the decline of 3G connections.
According to the NCC data, 3G’s share dropped to 4.86 per cent in June 2026 from 7.13 per cent in July 2025, representing a 31.84 per cent decline and a reduction of 2.27 percentage points.
2G also lost market share, although at a slower rate. Its share fell by 5.63 per cent, from 38.38 per cent in July 2025 to 36.22 per cent in June 2026, representing a 2.16 percentage-point decline.
The figures suggest that consumers are moving more rapidly away from 3G, while 2G continues to maintain a sizeable presence in the market.
MTN maintains largest subscriber base
The technology transition is occurring across a mobile market dominated by Nigeria’s four major network operators.
NCC data for June 2026 showed that MTN Nigeria remained the country’s largest operator, with 98.64 million subscribers and a 51.38 per cent market share.
Airtel Nigeria followed with 66.12 million subscribers, representing 34.44 per cent of the market.
Globacom had 23.68 million subscribers and a 12.34 per cent share, while 9mobile, identified as T2 in the NCC data, had 3.54 million subscribers and a 1.84 per cent share.
Together, the four operators served approximately 192 million subscribers in June 2026, providing the customer base through which Nigeria’s migration towards higher-generation mobile networks is taking place.
Data demand drives network investment
The acceleration in 5G adoption comes as telecom operators continue investing in network capacity and coverage amid rising demand for data-intensive services.
Higher-speed networks are becoming increasingly important for video streaming, cloud computing, digital payments, remote work, artificial intelligence applications and other services that require greater bandwidth and lower latency.
For operators, the transition also has implications for capital expenditure, spectrum utilisation and network economics. Moving customers towards more advanced technologies can help networks accommodate growing data consumption while improving capacity and efficiency.
The continued investment in network infrastructure could also support the wider expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy, where reliable connectivity is increasingly essential for businesses, financial services and digital public and private-sector platforms.
Despite the rapid growth of 5G, the NCC figures show that Nigeria’s mobile market remains in a transitional phase.
2G and 3G still represented more than two-fifths of mobile connections as of June 2026, indicating that legacy networks continue to serve a substantial portion of the market.
The relatively sharp decline in 3G points to a faster migration from that technology towards 4G and 5G. However, the more modest reduction in 2G connections suggests that older networks continue to have an important role, particularly where basic connectivity remains the priority.
This transition is significant for Nigeria because mobile networks remain a primary gateway to internet access for a large proportion of the population. The expansion of mobile broadband capacity is therefore closely linked to the country’s digital inclusion and economic development ambitions.
5G records fastest growth
The latest NCC figures underline a gradual but clear technological shift in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
While 5G accounted for only 4.61 per cent of mobile connections in June 2026, its 40.98 per cent year-on-year growth significantly outpaced the 6.03 per cent expansion recorded by 4G.
4G remains the dominant network technology, but the faster growth of 5G suggests that fifth-generation services could play an increasingly important role in the next phase of Nigeria’s mobile-market development.
The pace of this transition will ultimately depend on continued network investment, device availability, affordability, spectrum utilisation and the ability of operators to extend advanced connectivity beyond major population centres.
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