5G Penetration Drags as 4G, 2G Lead in Market Share across Networks

Emma Okonji

The percentage of subscribers utilising telecommunications services per various mobile phone generations currently being deployed in Nigeria, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies, has continued to widen with 4G and 2G leading in terms of percentage share and market penetration, despite the hype that accompanied 5G rollout in 2022.

According to the latest statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), while 4G tops the chart with 54.77 percentage market share, 2G is second on the chart with 36.05 percentage market share as at August 2026.

NCC data placed 5G in third position on the chart, with a percentage market share of 4.92, followed by 3G as fourth position on the chart with a percentage market share of 4.27 as at August 2026.

During the rollout of 5G services in September 2022 by MTN and in June 2023 by Airtel, the operators raised the hopes of telecoms subscribers, with lots of promises that the advanced 5G technology would extend the reach and capacity of operator’s data network in Nigeria and enable 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.

Both MTN and Airtel also promised that within one year of rollout, the penetration of 5G technology must have spread to all parts of the country, giving subscribers better experience in terms of data usage, download speed and voice clarity.

But four years down the line, since the first rollout of 5G in 2022, its market penetration level has continued to drag for obvious reasons, which include the inability of MTN and Airtel to rollout the 5G technology as fast as they intended, citing high cost of 5G equipment that is priced in dollar denomination, including the limited number of 5G enabled devices available to Nigerians to connect to the 5G network.

From the NCC’s statistics, 5G penetration level has remained abysmally low from inception, as 2G and 4G penetration levels continue to spread faster, an indication that more subscribers still utilise the 2G and 4G technologies, despite the fact that they are older forms of technologies that were launched several years before the launch of the advanced 5G technology in Nigeria.

But even at that, the world has advanced to 6G technology that has been described as the next game changer in the global technology space.

According to NCC data, as at January 2026, 4G penetration was 53.41 per cent, followed by 2G with 36.97 per cent and 3G penetration was 5.67 per cent, while 5G penetration was 3.94 per cent.

In February 2026, 4G still topped the chart with 53.59 per cent penetration level, followed by 2G with 36.87 per cent penetration level, and 3G had 5.49 per cent penetration level, while 5G had 4.06 per cent penetration level.

In March 2026, 4G also maintained lead position with 53.76 per cent penetration level, followed by 2G with 36.74 per cent penetration level, and 3G had 5.30 per cent penetration level, while 5G had 4.20 per cent penetration level.

In April 2026, 4G, again topped the chart with 54.41 per cent penetration level, followed by 2G with 35.93 per cent penetration level, and 3G had 5.32 per cent penetration level, while 5G had 4.34 per cent penetration level.

In May 2026, 4G also maintained the lead position with 54.30 per cent penetration level, followed by 2G with 36.12 per cent penetration level, and 3G had 5.10 per cent penetration level, while 5G had 4.49 per cent penetration level.

In June 2026, 4G also topped the chart with 54.31 per cent penetration level, followed by 2G with 36.22 per cent penetration level, and 3G had 4.86 per cent penetration level, while 5G had 4.61 per cent penetration level.

In July 2026, 4G also maintained the lead position with 54.31 per cent penetration level, followed by 2G with 36.54 per cent penetration level, and 5G had 4.74 per cent penetration level, while 3G had 4.42 per cent penetration level.

In August 2026, 4G continued with the lead position of 54.77 per cent penetration level, followed by 2G with 36.05 per cent penetration level, and 5G had 4.92 per cent penetration level, while 3G had 4.27 per cent penetration level.