9mobile, Nigeria’s fourth-largest telecom operator, has seen its market share drop to a historic low of 1.99%, with a stagnant subscriber base of 3.2 million for two consecutive months, according to data from the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).
This decline marks a significant drop from the 23.4 million subscribers and 15.7% market share the company held in 2015, when it was still known as Etisalat Nigeria.
In contrast, other major telecom operators in Nigeria have continued to grow, with MTN Nigeria increasing its market share to 51% and Airtel reaching 56.6 million subscribers.
9mobile’s struggles to regain momentum have raised concerns about its declining performance, particularly given the lack of capital investment from its new owners, Light House Telecom, which acquired a 95% stake in the company in July 2024 for an estimated $750 million.
Industry insiders emphasize that for 9mobile to regain market share, it must modernize its network infrastructure, improve customer acquisition efforts, and potentially reduce prices to remain competitive.
However, without the necessary funding, these objectives will be challenging to achieve, leaving 9mobile at risk of falling further behind its competitors.
