Editing Telecommunications in Nigeria (section)

==Telephones==
{{See also |List of telephone operating companies#Nigeria |l1=List of telephone operating companies in Nigeria |Telephone numbers in Nigeria}}

The number of fixed-line connections is insignificant and also in sharp decline (2016: 349,000, 2020: 107,000).<ref name=":2">[http://www.ncc.gov.ng/thecommunicator/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=905:fg-hands-over-nitelmtel-to-natcom-consortium&catid=133:news-local "FG Hands Over NITEL/MTEL To NATCOM Consortium"], The Communicator by NCC, 12 December 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2016.</ref>

Mobile services, on the other hand, are growing rapidly, partly in response to fixed-line inadequacies; several mobile operators operate across the country, with subscribers at 92 per 100 people (2019). This ranks Nigeria 8th in the world.<ref name=":1"/>

Deregulation of the mobile phone market has led to the introduction of [[Global System for Mobile Communication]] (GSM) network providers operating on the 900/1800MHz spectrum, [[MTN Nigeria]],<ref>{{cite web |title=MTN |url=http://www.mtnonline.com |access-date=10 November 2013 |publisher=Mtnonline.com}}</ref> [[Airtel Nigeria]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Africa.airtel |url=http://www.ng.airtel.com |access-date=10 November 2013 |publisher=Ng.airtel.com}}</ref> [[Globacom]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Glo Mobile |url=http://www.gloworld.com |access-date=10 November 2013 |publisher=Gloworld.com}}</ref> and 9mobile ([[Etisalat by e&|Etisalat]]). Use of cell-phones has soared, and has mostly replaced the unreliable fixed line services of [[NITEL|Nigerian Telecommunications Limited]] (NITEL).
[[File:NCC building.jpg|alt=an image showing the Nigeria Communication Commission building in Abuja|thumb|257x257px|The Nigeria Communication Commission building in Abuja]]
With the expiration of the exclusivity period of the main GSM network providers, Nigeria's telecom regulator, the [[Nigerian Communications Commission]] (NCC), introduced the Unified Licensing Regime. It was hoped that telecoms with unified licences would be able to provide fixed and mobile telephony and Internet access as well as any other communications service they choose to offer. In March 2011 the NCC started registering [[SIM card]]s. The exercise was expected to last until 28 September 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncc.gov.ng/sim-registration/about-simreg.html |title= About SIM Registration|website=www.ncc.gov.ng |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414012634/http://www.ncc.gov.ng/sim-registration/about-simreg.html |archive-date=April 14, 2012}}</ref>

In 2015 the NTC fined MTN Nigeria a record $5.2 billion for issuing 5.2 million unregistered and pre-registered subscriber Identification Module Cards (SIMs). In 2017 the NTC sett up a 12-member task force in response to renewed proliferation of Unregistered and pre-registered [[SIM card]]s. The unregistered cards are considered a threat to Nigerian national security.<ref>{{Cite news |title=NCC should get tough on unregistered SIMs |language=en-US |work=Punch Newspapers |url=http://punchng.com/ncc-should-get-tough-on-unregistered-sims/ |access-date=2017-11-14}}</ref>

After a decade of failed privatization attempts, the incumbent national telecom [[NITEL]] and its mobile arm have been sold to NATCOM and now rebranded as NTEL.<ref name=":2" />

Nigeria concluded its first 5G spectrum auction in 2021 and granted licences to two firms: MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications. MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria are the only mobile network operators that have launched 5G services in Nigeria. The companies have rolled out 5G in these 8 states - Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Ogun, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri, and plan to expand 5G coverage to other states in the future. [https://a3techworld.com/5g-technology-in-nigeria/]

In Q1 2024, the telecommunications sector in Nigeria experienced a growth rate of 15.70%, up from 14.10% in Q4 2023. According to the [[National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria|National Bureau of Statistics]] (NBS), this growth was driven by increased mobile phone penetration, higher internet usage, and the rollout of 4G and 5G networks. The sector contributed 8.90% to Nigeria's GDP during this period.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-31 |title=Top 10 Growth Sectors in Nigeria's Economy for Q1 2024 |url=https://naijaecho.com.ng/top-growth-sectors-in-nigerias-economy-q1-2024/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=Naijaecho.com.ng |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-14 |title=Nigeria's Top 10 Imports : Q1 2024 |url=https://naijaecho.com.ng/nigerias-top-10-imports-q1-2024/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=Naijaecho.com.ng |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Statistical data ===
'''[[Calling code]]:''' +234<ref name="CIAWFB-Nigeria-2014" />

'''[[International call prefix]]:''' 009<ref>[http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/opb/sp/T-SP-E.164C-2011-PDF-E.pdf ''Dialing Procedures (International Prefix, National (Trunk) Prefix and National (Significant) Number) (in Accordance with ITY-T Recommendation E.164 (11/2010))''], Annex to ITU Operational Bulletin No. 994-15.XII.2011, International Telecommunication Union (ITU, Geneva), 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.</ref>

'''Connected lines:'''
* 348,933 fixed wired/wireless lines (July 2016).<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.ncc.gov.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125:art-statistics-subscriber-data&catid=65:cat-web-statistics&Itemid=73 |title=Monthly Subscriber Data |publisher=Nigerian Communications Commission |access-date=11 September 2016}}</ref>
* 222,440,207 mobile cellular ([[GSM]]) lines (July 2016).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* 3,611,926 mobile ([[CDMA]]) lines (July 2016).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* '''226,426,215 total connected lines'''

'''Active lines:'''
* 164,114 fixed wired/wireless lines (July 2016).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* 149,708,077 Mobile cellular (GSM) lines (July 2016).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* 371,613 mobile (CDMA) lines (July 2016).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* '''150,262,066 total active lines'''

'''Installed capacity:'''
* 11,384,677 fixed wired/wireless lines (June 2013).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* 204,242,114 mobile (GSM) lines (June 2013).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* 18,400,000 mobile (CDMA) lines (June 2013).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* '''234,026,791''' total lines

'''Teledensity:''' 
* ~86 combined fixed and mobile lines per 100 persons (June 2013).<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* ~1 fixed line per 100 persons (2010).<ref name=CIAWFB-Nigeria-2014/>
* ~60 mobile lines per 100 persons (2010).<ref name=CIAWFB-Nigeria-2014/>

'''[[Communications satellite|Satellite earth stations]]:''' 3 [[Intelsat]] (2 [[Atlantic Ocean]] and 1 [[Indian Ocean]]) (2010);<ref name="CIAWFB-Nigeria-2014" />

'''[[List of international submarine communications cables|Submarine cables]]:''' 
* [[SAT-3/WASC (cable system)|SAT-3/WASC]]/[[SAFE (cable system)|SAFE]] links countries along the west coast of Africa to each other and on to [[Europe]] and [[Asia]],<ref name=CIAWFB-Nigeria-2014/><ref name=GregsCableMap/>
* [[ACE (cable system)|ACE]] links countries along the west coast of Africa to each other and on to [[France]],<ref name=GregsCableMap>[http://www.cablemap.info/ "Greg's Cable Map"], Greg Mahlknecht, 19 December 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2014.</ref>
* [[GLO-1 (cable system)|GLO-1]] links countries along the west coast of Africa to each other and on to the [[United Kingdom]],<ref name=GregsCableMap/> 
* [[Main One (cable system)|Main One]] links countries along the west coast of Africa to each other and on to [[Portugal]].<ref name=GregsCableMap/>