Nigeria’s internet service provider (ISP) market is growing, but the gains are increasingly going to a few major players. Active ISP subscribers rose from 352,006 in December 2025 to 420,989 in June 2026, adding 68,983 customers, or 19.6%, in six months, according to data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on August 25.
Spectranet remained Nigeria’s largest ISP with 111,384 subscribers, followed by Starlink with 98,642 and FibreOne with 56,486. Their strong positions show how scale, network investment and access to capital are becoming increasingly important in Nigeria’s broadband market.
Nigeria’s ISP subscriber base has more than doubled since 2021, but that growth has not been evenly shared. Smaller providers continue to face rising costs, customer churn and growing competition from fibre, mobile and satellite services.
The latest 19.6% increase in subscribers over six months is therefore significant, signalling stronger demand for broadband. But with three operators accounting for nearly 70% of the market, the bigger question is whether Nigeria can expand its broadband base without reducing the number of companies competing for those customers.
If the trend continues, Nigeria could end up with more broadband users but a less competitive ISP market.
Olajide Mafolabomi, CEO of UCard Innovations and a non-executive director at Telserve Networks, told TechCabal that sustained growth in telecoms depends on continued investment in infrastructure, network capacity and marketing. Smaller ISPs, he said, often lack the resources to keep pace with larger operators and face heavy customer churn as mobile networks improve.
The arrival of 4G and 5G has made competition tougher for smaller ISPs. Customers who once relied on fixed wireless or older broadband services can now get faster internet through mobile networks without waiting for a fibre connection. Smaller ISPs can cut prices to retain customers, but this puts more pressure on their already rising operating costs.
“Growth in telecom is driven only by sustained investment in building infrastructure, capacity, and marketing,” Mafolabomi said.