Nigeria’s telephone density drops as telecoms operators lose 4.9m users

Telephone density in Nigeria slumped further in the month of May as telecoms operators continued to experience downward trajectory, especially in voice services. While teledensity dropped to 115.9 per cent in May, subscription statistics from Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that in the first five months of the year, penetration dropped by 2.6 per cent.
    
Teledensity is the number of telephone connections per 100 people in a specified geographic area. It is often used to compare level of access to voice and data communications services between metropolitan and rural areas or between one country and another.
     
According to NCC, teledensity was 118.51 per cent in January; 119.01 per cent in February; 118.48 per cent in March; 117.17 per cent in April and 115.91 per cent in May.
     
The drop also reflected in voice subscriptions to mobile network. Analysis of the data showed that some 4.96 million voice subscriptions became inactive from January to May.
     
While telcos had 226.2 million users in January, it went to 227.1 million in February, and dropped to 226 million in March.

It was 223.6 million in April and 221.2 million by the end of May. Broadband penetration also witnessed slump from 48.2 per cent penetration in January to 42.28 per cent in May. Notably, Internet subscription via narrowband defied the trend and increased to 159 million in May, from 155.6 million in January.

     
By and large, the market is still dominated by MTN, which has 85.5 million users and 38.7 per cent market penetration. It is followed by Glo with 61.1 million users and 27.6 per cent penetration. Airtel is third with 60.5 million customers and 27.4 per cent penetration. 9mobile had 13.6 million subscribers as of May and 6.18 per cent market reach.
    
MEANWHILE, Airtel Nigeria has spotlighted the struggles of albinism in Episode 2 of Touching Lives Season 7 programmes. Featured on July 2, it revealed rarely discussed struggles that are associated with living with albinism in Nigeria.
    
The episode featured the story of Eunice Nwokeocha, a young woman living with albinism. This genetic condition affects the production of melanin, which is the pigment that gives colour to the skin, hair, and eyes.
  
Commenting on the new series, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, highlighted interventions viewers should expect.
     
He said: “This season features stories that are not only touching but also eye-opening, such as the ones about an organisation that cares for children with autism and learning disabilities, a community with an auspicious plan to train and empower its youth, and an individual who helps to prevent infant mortality.”