A new report released in 2024 by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), compiled by research firm Statisense, has revealed wide regional differences in the number of active voice subscribers (SIM card users) across Nigeria.
According to the data, the South-West region leads the country with 45.27 million active voice subscribers, making it Nigeria’s most connected zone. The North-West follows with 32.00 million, while the North-Central records 29.45 million subscribers. The South-South zone has 23.18 million, the North-East reports 18.29 million, and the South-East trails with the lowest figure at 16.74 million subscribers.
At the state level, Lagos dominates Nigeria’s telecom landscape with 25,956,074 active subscribers, far ahead of other states. Ogun State comes next with 12,672,990, followed by Kano with 11,931,128, Oyo with 11,158,965, and Kaduna with 9,675,009 rounding out the top five.
On the lower end of the scale, Bayelsa State records the fewest active voice users nationwide at 1,608,473. Ebonyi follows with 1,885,657, while Ekiti has 1,969,568 subscribers. Zamfara and Gombe report slightly higher figures at approximately 2.77 million and 2.78 million respectively.
Industry analysts say the figures reflect population distribution, urbanisation levels, and economic activity across the regions. Areas with major commercial hubs, such as Lagos and Ogun, show higher penetration, while less urbanised and insecurity-prone states record lower usage.
The NCC says the data will help guide policy decisions and infrastructure investment aimed at expanding digital inclusion and improving telecom services nationwide.