MTN Nigeria has surpassed the 100-million active subscriber milestone for the first time, following the addition of more than two million active subscriptions in July 2026. According to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the operator closed the month with 100.86 million active subscribers, compared with 98.64 million in June.
MTN added 2.22 million subscribers during the month, marking its strongest monthly growth so far in 2026 and increasing its share of Nigeria’s mobile telecommunications market to 51.76%.
The milestone comes as Nigeria’s total number of active mobile subscriptions increased from 192.23 million in June to 195.1 million in July. With more than 100 million connections, MTN now accounts for over half of the country’s active mobile subscriptions.
MTN also maintained its leading position in mobile internet subscriptions. The operator recorded 84.1 million mobile internet subscriptions in July, giving it a 53.5% share of the market. Airtel followed with 56.8 million, while Globacom recorded 15.6 million.
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Nigeria’s expanding connectivity is being accompanied by increased data usage. Mobile data consumption reached a record 1.66 million terabytes in July, extending a four-month growth streak. Broadband subscriptions also increased to 124.4 million, pushing broadband penetration to 57.4%.
MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola has previously attributed the company’s subscriber growth to stronger customer additions and increasing data consumption. However, the rapid expansion also places greater pressure on the operator to maintain network quality. MTN invested ₦620.5 billion in capital expenditure during the first half of 2026, with spending directed towards spectrum, fibre backhaul and network infrastructure.
Reaching the 100-million subscriber mark gives MTN a significantly larger customer base through which it can expand revenue from data, fintech and other digital services. However, the company’s commercial success will depend not only on subscriber numbers but also on how effectively it converts this growing customer base into sustainable digital and financial value.
