- NIN SIM Enforcement Wipes Out 59.7 Million Phone Lines.
- Teledensity and internet subscriptions fell sharply during the clean-up period.
- Sector shows early recovery in 2025 with rising user numbers.
Nigeria’s telecommunications sector experienced one of its most significant corrections in years, with active voice subscriptions falling by 59.7 million in 2024 following the strict enforcement of the National Identification Number and Subscriber Identity Module policy.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, in its 2024 Subscriber and Network Performance Report, confirmed that the active subscriber base declined from 224.7 million in 2023 to 164.9 million by December 2024, translating to a 26.6 per cent year-on-year drop.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to the regulator, the fall was triggered by the removal of SIM cards not linked to verified NINs and the correction of a long-standing subscriber-count discrepancy by a major mobile network operator.
The aggressive clean-up formed part of the Federal Government’s multi-year drive to link all SIM cards to valid NINs. Launched in February 2020 and jointly enforced by the NCC and the National Identity Management Commission, the exercise reached its final deadline on 14 September 2024. From 15 September, every SIM without a verified NIN was automatically deactivated.
The policy aims to tackle the criminal use of anonymous SIM cards, strengthen national security and enhance the integrity of the national identity database. It is also expected to support financial inclusion, improve service delivery and boost digital payments.
President Bola Tinubu announced in September that more than 126 million Nigerians had been enrolled in the National Identity Database, with system capacity expanded to 250 million records to accommodate nationwide coverage.
The NCC report also showed a drop in teledensity from 103.66 per cent in 2023 to 76.08 per cent in 2024, while internet subscriptions fell by 24.6 million to 139.3 million.
Despite the declines, Nigeria achieved over 95 per cent cellular coverage, and broadband penetration grew slightly to 44.43 per cent. Fresh industry data for 2025 shows early signs of recovery, with active subscriptions rising to 173.54 million in September, signalling renewed market stability.
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