Globacom, Nigeria's first indigenous mobile network operator, led the country's major telecom operators in internet subscriber growth during May, adding approximately 1.2 million subscribers. The gains came as Nigeria's total internet subscriber base expanded by 2.67 million over the same period, underscoring sustained demand for data connectivity in Africa's largest telecom market by subscriber count.

According to the latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria had roughly 157 million internet subscribers in May, up from 154.3 million in April. Globacom accounted for nearly half of the monthly increase, raising its subscriber base from approximately 15.5 million to 16.8 million.

Airtel Nigeria recorded the second-largest monthly gain, adding about 1.07 million subscribers to reach 55.8 million, up from 54.8 million in April. MTN Nigeria added 382,894 subscribers, bringing its total to approximately 83.5 million from 83.1 million.

T2 Mobile, formerly known as 9mobile, recorded no growth for the second consecutive month, with its internet subscriber base remaining at 802,534.

The stagnation comes nearly a year after the NCC approved a national roaming agreement between T2 Mobile and MTN Nigeria, which was intended to allow T2 subscribers to access MTN's network in areas where T2's own coverage was limited. The latest figures indicate that the roaming arrangement has yet to produce visible subscriber growth for T2, even as its larger competitors continue expanding their user bases. T2's market share has steadily eroded since its days as Etisalat Nigeria, well before the rebranding to 9mobile and now T2 Mobile.

Globacom's May surge is notable for narrowing the gap with its larger rivals, while Airtel's strong growth further signals that competition among Nigeria's internet service providers is intensifying. The growth across three of four operators also reflects the broader expansion of Nigeria's digital economy, where increasing smartphone adoption and demand for mobile data services continue to drive subscriber acquisition and reactivation.

Osita Odafi, a telecom industry expert, told TechCabal that Globacom's gains may have been driven partly by promotional campaigns and network improvements.

"Some inactive subscribers may have resumed data usage because of promotions and/or improved network quality, making them count as active internet subscribers," Odafi said.

Globacom's current promotional initiatives offer both existing and new subscribers—including those porting to the network—the chance to win prizes. The operator also runs a Welcome-Back offer targeting subscribers whose lines have been inactive for at least 90 days. Device promotions form another component of the strategy, with Globacom tying certain smartphone purchases to data benefits and eSIM offers.

The May data underscores the divergent competitive positions within Nigeria's telecom market. MTN remained the country's largest internet subscriber provider with approximately 83.5 million subscribers, followed by Airtel at 55.8 million. Globacom ranked third with 16.8 million.