Mobile number portability in Nigeria surged by 190 per cent in January 2025, with 8,708 subscribers switching networks compared to 2,998 in December 2024, data from the Nigerian Communications Commission showed.
The data revealed that 9mobile recorded the highest customer losses, as 6,716 subscribers left the network for competitors. The operator, which once held a strong market position, has struggled in recent years.
Its subscriber base has remained at 3.2 million for three consecutive months, a significant drop from the 23.4 million it had in 2015 when it held a 15.7 per cent market share. Despite the rise in porting activity, 9mobile attracted only seven new customers through porting in January.
The increase in porting activity reflects growing dissatisfaction with service quality and pricing, prompting subscribers to seek better options.
MTN, Airtel, and Globacom benefited from the trend. MTN gained 5,551 new subscribers through porting and lost 1,188 to other networks.
Airtel added 2,414 porting customers and lost 399, while Globacom recorded 736 incoming subscribers, with 405 outgoing.
The surge in porting is attributed to several factors, including poor network quality, competitive pricing, and improved customer service from rival operators.
The NCC’s enforcement of the National Identification Number-SIM linkage disrupted the market in 2024, leading to massive SIM disconnections. Some users who were initially affected are now returning, choosing different networks.
Meanwhile, the telecom sector recorded a significant rebound in January 2025, with active mobile subscriptions rising to 169.3 million from 164.9 million in December 2024.
MTN, Nigeria’s largest telecom provider, added 2.9 million new subscribers, bringing its total user base to 87.5 million.
Airtel also gained new customers, growing from 56.6 million in December 2024 to 57.6 million in January 2025.
Globacom, which had previously lost subscribers due to regulatory audits, also saw a slight increase, rising from 20.1 million users to 20.5 million.
However, 9mobile continued to struggle, with its subscriber base remaining at 3.2 million for the third consecutive month.
