4G Holds 53.76% Market Share Four Years After 5G Rollout Across Networks

Emma Okonji

Despite assurances from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) that 5G rollout would transform the telecoms industry, its acceptance and market penetration remain very low after four years of deployment, with a record 4.2 percent market share as of March 2026.

Older technologies such as 2G and 4G continue to dominate, enjoying widespread adoption among subscribers across networks.

As of March 2026, 2G holds a market share of 36.74 percent, while 4G leads with 53.76 percent.

Statistics recently released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), seen by THISDAY, show that the proportion of subscribers using 2G and 4G services exceeds those using 5G.

NCC designated Wednesday April 24, 2022, as the official launch date for 5G in Nigeria. MTN Nigeria Communications Plc became the first MNO to commercially roll out 5G on September 18, 2022, followed by Airtel Nigeria on June 19, 2023.

During its commercial launch in Lagos, MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola pledged to extend 5G to six additional cities—Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.

“The advanced 5G technology promises to extend the reach and capacity of MTN Nigeria’s data network, enabling much faster speeds and lower latency, giving customers near‑instant access to the things they care about and downloads that take seconds instead of minutes,” Toriola said.

Airtel Nigeria CEO Carl Cruz, during its 5G rollout in Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, and Abuja, promised nationwide coverage by the end of 2023.

“The 5G revolution opens a new vista of opportunities and is a quantum leap from the existing 4G network. With 4G, video playback and video calls are smooth, but in 5G, end‑to‑end video creation with the support of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is possible,” Cruz said.

Yet four years after the initial commercial launch, 5G is available only in a handful of locations across a few states.

Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, attributed the low penetration to the high cost of 5G equipment priced in dollars and the limited supply of 5G‑enabled mobile phones.

The NCC’s published statistics on 5G penetration and usage show the following market shares:

In June 2025, 4G was 50.8 percent, 2G 38.47 percent, 3G 7.66 percent, and 5G 3.07 percent.

In July 2025, 4G was 50.85 percent, 2G 38.6 percent, 3G 7.38 percent, and 5G 3.17 percent.

In August 2025, 4G was 51.22 percent, 2G 38.38 percent, 3G 7.13 percent, and 5G 3.27 percent.

In September 2025, 4G was 51.56 percent, 2G 38.44 percent, 3G 6.64 percent, and 5G 3.37 percent.

In October 2025, 4G was 51.77 percent, 2G 38.4 percent, 3G 6.34 percent, and 5G 3.49 percent.

In November 2025, 4G was 51.99 percent, 2G 38.29 percent, 3G 6.13 percent, and 5G 3.6 percent.

In December 2025, 4G was 52.95 percent, 2G 37.37 percent, 3G 5.91 percent, and 5G 3.77 percent.

In January 2026, 4G was 53.41 percent, 2G 36.97 percent, 3G 5.67 percent, and 5G 3.94 percent.

In February 2026, 4G was 53.59 percent, 2G 36.87 percent, 3G 5.49 percent, and 5G 4.06 percent.

As of March 2026, 4G reached 53.76 percent, 2G 36.74 percent, 3G 5.3 percent, and 5G 4.2 percent.