MTN Nigeria Loses 6.5 Million Internet Subscribers

Telecommunication giant MTN Nigeria lost 6.5 million data subscribers according to the 2016 first quarter telecoms industry report recently published by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The report revealed that MTNN kicked off the year with 39,924,737 internet subscribers and ended the quarter between January and April with 33,356,595.

The telecom giant MTNN had been fined a record N780 billion by Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC) on October 26, 2015, for non-compliance with a deadline set by the NCC to disconnect all unregistered sim cards. This telco is now bearing the brunt of the fine.

The decline in MTNN’s data subscribers should not be a surprise to industry experts as it had earlier reported in February that its subscribers base dipped by 6.9%.


With over 55 million subscribers, MTN Nigeria Communications Limited (MTNN) provides cellular network access and ICT solutions to millions of Nigerians since 2001. It is also the largest subsidiary in the MTN Group.

Meanwhile, Globacom, another telco, were the biggest gainers as their data customers soared with 1,448,354 subscribers.