Emma Okonji
The proportion of subscribers utilising telecommunications providers per numerous cell phone generations at present being deployed in Nigeria, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G applied sciences, has continued to widen with 4G and 2G main in phrases of proportion share and market penetration, regardless of the hype that accompanied 5G rollout in 2022.
According to the newest statistics launched by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), whereas 4G tops the chart with 54.77 proportion market share, 2G is second on the chart with 36.05 proportion market share as at August 2026.
NCC knowledge positioned 5G in third place on the chart, with a proportion market share of 4.92, adopted by 3G as fourth place on the chart with a proportion market share of 4.27 as at August 2026.
During the rollout of 5G providers in September 2022 by MTN and in June 2023 by Airtel, the operators raised the hopes of telecoms subscribers, with a number of guarantees that the superior 5G expertise would lengthen the attain and capability of operator’s knowledge community in Nigeria and allow a lot quicker speeds and decrease latency, giving clients near-instant entry to the issues they care about and downloads that take seconds, as an alternative of minutes.
Both MTN and Airtel additionally promised that inside one yr of rollout, the penetration of 5G expertise should have unfold to all elements of the nation, giving subscribers higher expertise in phrases of knowledge utilization, obtain pace and voice readability.
But 4 years down the road, for the reason that first rollout of 5G in 2022, its market penetration stage has continued to tug for apparent causes, which embody the shortcoming of MTN and Airtel to rollout the 5G expertise as quick as they meant, citing excessive value of 5G gear that’s priced in greenback denomination, together with the restricted variety of 5G enabled gadgets accessible to Nigerians to hook up with the 5G community.
From the NCC’s statistics, 5G penetration stage has remained abysmally low from inception, as 2G and 4G penetration ranges proceed to unfold quicker, a sign that extra subscribers nonetheless utilise the 2G and 4G applied sciences, even if they’re older types of applied sciences that have been launched a number of years earlier than the launch of the superior 5G expertise in Nigeria.
But even at that, the world has superior to 6G expertise that has been described as the subsequent sport changer in the worldwide expertise house.
According to NCC knowledge, as at January 2026, 4G penetration was 53.41 per cent, adopted by 2G with 36.97 per cent and 3G penetration was 5.67 per cent, whereas 5G penetration was 3.94 per cent.
In February 2026, 4G nonetheless topped the chart with 53.59 per cent penetration stage, adopted by 2G with 36.87 per cent penetration stage, and 3G had 5.49 per cent penetration stage, whereas 5G had 4.06 per cent penetration stage.
In March 2026, 4G additionally maintained lead place with 53.76 per cent penetration stage, adopted by 2G with 36.74 per cent penetration stage, and 3G had 5.30 per cent penetration stage, whereas 5G had 4.20 per cent penetration stage.
In April 2026, 4G, once more topped the chart with 54.41 per cent penetration stage, adopted by 2G with 35.93 per cent penetration stage, and 3G had 5.32 per cent penetration stage, whereas 5G had 4.34 per cent penetration stage.
In May 2026, 4G additionally maintained the lead place with 54.30 per cent penetration stage, adopted by 2G with 36.12 per cent penetration stage, and 3G had 5.10 per cent penetration stage, whereas 5G had 4.49 per cent penetration stage.
In June 2026, 4G additionally topped the chart with 54.31 per cent penetration stage, adopted by 2G with 36.22 per cent penetration stage, and 3G had 4.86 per cent penetration stage, whereas 5G had 4.61 per cent penetration stage.
In July 2026, 4G additionally maintained the lead place with 54.31 per cent penetration stage, adopted by 2G with 36.54 per cent penetration stage, and 5G had 4.74 per cent penetration stage, whereas 3G had 4.42 per cent penetration stage.
In August 2026, 4G continued with the lead place of 54.77 per cent penetration stage, adopted by 2G with 36.05 per cent penetration stage, and 5G had 4.92 per cent penetration stage, whereas 3G had 4.27 per cent penetration stage.
