Telcom Companies lost 12.3m internet subscribers in 2021, says NBS
The number of internet users in Nigeria dropped by 7.99 per cent to 141.9 million just as telecoms companies lost 12.3 million data subscribers in 2021, according to the data released on Monday by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The drop in data users may be one of the outcomes of restrictions on sales of SIM cards by the telecoms sector in 2021 because of the on-going national identification number (NIN) and SIM integration exercise ordered by the Federal Government
The Federal Government had in 2020 directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to audit the subscriber registration database. The directive instructed mobile network operators to suspend the sale, registration and activation of new SIM cards.
Consequently the controversial policy denied new entrants into the country access to purchase mobile lines while existing users who want to retrieve their lost lines were not allowed access.
The restriction was lifted last April.
NBS report said that a total of 141,971,560 subscribers were active on the internet in the fourth quarter of 2021, as against 154,301,195 in the same period of 2020, representing a 7.99 per cent decrease in internet subscriptions year-on-year.
“In Q4 2021, a total of 195,463,898 subscribers were active on voice as against 204,601,313 in Q4 2020. This represents a 4.47 per cent decrease in voice subscriptions Year-on-Year. Quarter-on-Quarter growth was 2.42 per cent,” the report reads.
“A total of 141,971,560 subscribers were active on the internet as against 154,301,195 in Q4 2020. This represents a 7.99 per cent decrease in internet subscriptions Year-on-Year.
“Lagos State had the highest number of subscribers in terms of active voice per state in Q4 2021, followed by Kano State and Ogun State, while Bayelsa and Ebonyi states had the least number of subscribers. However, MTN had the highest share of subscriptions in Q2, Q3, and Q4 2021.”
In Katsina and Kano states, subscribers also dipped by 1.21 million and 1.15 million year-on-year, respectively. Zamfara (888,817), Sokoto (676,259) and Ogun state (574,727) also recorded declines.
Minister Of Communications And Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami had said the internet subscribers that deserted the telcos within one year are mostly criminals.
“The over 12 million that have dropped are mostly criminals that cannot come out to regularise their numbers,” the minister had said.
