By : Kazeem Adeleke & Okechukwu D. Okechukwu
Nigeria’s broadband landscape remains firmly anchored by 4G LTE, which accounted for 52.95 per cent market share as of December 2025, while 2G maintained a significant 37.37 per cent, and 5G penetration inched up to just 3.77 per cent, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Industry analysis indicates that 4G’s continued dominance is being driven largely by urban smartphone migration and sustained network expansion by major operators such as MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria. These investments continue to power Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
Meanwhile, 2G remains resilient, particularly in rural and underserved communities, where reliance on feature phones and a persistent device affordability gap continue to slow migration to newer technologies.
By contrast, 5G adoption remains sluggish. Analysts attribute the slow uptake to the high cost of compatible smartphones amid inflationary pressures, as well as operators’ preference for the faster return on investment offered by 4G compared with the capital-intensive nature of 5G rollout. In addition, mainstream consumer and enterprise use cases for 5G remain limited beyond premium urban applications such as high-definition streaming in cities like Lagos and Abuja.
Data further show that broadband subscriptions surpassed 112 million, pushing national penetration to 51.97 per cent, up from 42.2 per cent in October 2024. The milestone marks the first time Nigeria has crossed the halfway broadband threshold.
However, monthly net additions of roughly 2–3 million subscribers slowed in the second half of the year, reflecting the combined impact of rapid population growth and persistent regional connectivity disparities.
With the NCC’s 70 per cent broadband penetration target still out of reach, stakeholders say the figures highlight strong underlying demand but also underscore the urgent need for more affordable smart devices, expanded infrastructure, and compelling digital use cases to accelerate next-generation broadband adoption nationwide.
