Nigeria’s fourth-largest mobile network operator, 9mobile, is experiencing a significant decline in its subscriber base, with 6,079 customers porting out of its network in just two months.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 9mobile lost 3,891 subscribers in November 2024 and an additional 2,188 in December 2024, making it the biggest loser in mobile number portability (MNP) activities during this period.
In contrast, other telecom operators saw relatively insignificant porting losses:
- MTN lost 236 subscribers in December and 166 in November.
- Airtel lost 269 subscribers in December and 362 in November.
- Globacom lost 305 subscribers in December and 307 in November.
While 9mobile struggled to retain subscribers, MTN benefited the most from incoming porting, gaining:
- 3,019 new subscribers in November and 1,856 in December.
- Airtel also gained 1,266 subscribers in November and 835 in December.
- Globacom gained 414 in November and 290 in December.
- 9mobile, however, managed to attract only 27 new subscribers in November and a mere 17 in December—the lowest among all operators.
Market Share Plunge
The steep subscriber decline has caused 9mobile’s market share to plummet to just 1.9% in December 2024. This marks a dramatic fall from its peak in 2015, when it held 15.7% of the market and had 23.4 million subscribers.
The company’s total subscriber base has stagnated at 3.2 million for two consecutive months, reinforcing its declining market position.
Meanwhile, other major telecom operators have continued to expand:
- MTN Nigeria now controls 51% of the market, increasing its subscriber base from 81.2 million in November to 84.6 million in December.
- Airtel has grown to 56.6 million subscribers, up from 55.4 million in November.
- Globacom, which previously faced a regulatory audit setback, rebounded from 19.6 million subscribers to 20.1 million by year-end 2024.
The Bigger Picture
The overall mobile number portability (MNP) activities in Nigeria saw a decline from 4,726 in November 2024 to 2,998 in December 2024, a reduction of 1,728 porting activities.
9mobile’s persistent struggles suggest deep-rooted challenges, including customer dissatisfaction, network quality concerns, and competitive pressures from its rivals. Without urgent interventions, the operator risks further market irrelevance as Nigeria’s telecom landscape continues to evolve.
