9Mobile gains as telecom sector loses 15.4m subscribers in 5 months

Mobile has become the first telecom industry operator to see growth after five months in which peers have been on persistent run of losses.

The entire telecom industry lost 3.65 million subscribers in March to take its tally to 192.0 million from 195.7 million in February. The sector has now lost a total of 15.4 million from between November 2020 and March 2021.

The March figures released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also confirms Businessday’s projection that the industry would record its first quarter 2021 in a loss.

Five months is the longest run period the industry has gone on losses since the NCC started compiling the industry data.

The decision to ban SIM card sales and registration until the National Identification Number (NIN) registration exercise had been completed was a major contributing factor. The NIN database is being built to essentially enable the country to effectively combat insecurity in the country.

Although the NIN exercise continues, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy in late April 2021 announced the resumption of SIM cards registration.

While the rest of the operators completed the first quarter in losses, 9Mobile was the exemption. The fourth largest telco welcomed 77,494 subscribers in March to boost its total numbers to 12.8 million from 12.7 million in February.

The company may have benefited from its push into tertiary education in the country and other data initiatives. In March, 9Mobile partnered with Myclassconnect to provide free access to lecturers and students on the tertiary educational technology platform. 9mobile’s support will ensure that users can access the platform without incurring mobile data costs.

It also announced a partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women on empowerment of women entrepreneurs in low and middleincome levels. Through its mobile application Herventure, the foundation says it has supported over 20,000 women entrepreneurs in Nigeria alone.

While 9Mobile would look forward to consolidating its new gains, Globacom did not have it all bad. The Nigerianowned telco consolidated its position as the largest mobile operator in Nigeria. While it was the second largest loser with 1.2 million subscribers dropping from its network leaving it with only 52.9 million in March from 54.1 million in February, its market share is still over 1 percent at 27.68 percent compared to its closest rival, Airtel Nigeria at 26.20 percent market share.