Nigeria’s active mobile subscribers hit 220m – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said the number of active mobile subscriptions in the country has reached 220,715,961 million as of August 2023.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this at the 18th Abuja International Trade Fair organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) on Thursday in Abuja.

This year’s 12-day edition of the fair is with the theme: “Sustainable Financing and Taxation’’.

Danbatta, represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mr Umar Alkasim, also said that the number of active internet subscribers was 159,034,717 million, with broadband penetration at 45.57 per cent as of August, 2023.

He said that the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses depended on their ability to leverage on new technologies by acquiring the necessary digital skills to do business on an international scale.

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Danbatta said: “In Nigeria today, the number of active mobile subscriptions reached 220,715,961 million as at August 2023, while Teledensity stood at 115.63 per cent at the same period.

“Also, the number of active Internet subscribers was 159,034,717 Million with broadband penetration at 45.57 per cent as at August, 2023.

“In this new environment, the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses depends on their ability to leverage on new technologies by acquiring the necessary digital skills to do business on an international scale.

“This in turn benefits the economy financially.”

He said that NCC’s regulatory efforts in deepening access to digital services would benefit Nigeria and make it competitive and comparable with other economies in the areas of job creation and contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth; emergence of new services and industries; workforce transformation, and business innovation.

“It is in our response to ensuring that Nigeria is competitive in all these areas that the commission continuously puts a number of regulatory measures in place to ensure seamless access by Nigerians to telecommunications services.

“This is in order to deepen competitiveness of the Nigerian economy by making our businesses and industries digitally compliant,” the EVC added. (NAN)