The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida has described the nation’s telecom statistical adjustment process as an appropriate step to maintain the integrity of data about the Nigerian telecom industry as collected, collated, and published by the Commission.

He stated that the adjustment will also ensure the accurate measurement of the Commission’s progress towards attaining increased broadband penetration rates, improved quality of service, and increased population coverage, among other targets set out in the Strategic Plan for the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

To this end, the commission in a statement said Nigeria has witnessed a steady increase in active voice and internet subscriptions, including a drop in teledensity as contained in the latest telecommunications statistical indicators released by the NCC, which have been adjusted to reflect the latest population growth figures and align with international best practices.

The adjustment, the statement said was reflected in the telecom industry statistical reports of September, October, and November 2023 published on the Commission’s website and upon the Nigerian Population Commission (NPC)’s projection of Nigeria’s population puts at 216,783,381, as of 2022, replacing the previously used 2017 projection of 190 million people.

The consequential adjustment according to a statement issued in Abuja was also in line with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s calculation of teledensity, noting that the nation’s teledensity dropped from 115.63% to 102.30% in September, while Broadband penetration witnessed a similar drop from 45.47% to 40.85% in the same month.

It however noted that the active voice subscription statistics witnessed a marginal growth from 220,361,186 to 221,769,883 as of September 2023, adding that Internet subscriptions also enjoyed a marginal growth, from 159,034,717 in August 2023 to 160,171,757 in September 2023.

Statement signed by Reuben Muoka, Director, Public Affairs of the NCC said in October 2023 the industry also experienced a 0.19% growth in Active Voice subscriptions while teledensity stood at 102.49% with Internet subscriptions increasing by 0.60% compared to September 2023.

In November of the same year, NCC said the industry also experienced a 0.46% growth in Active Voice subscriptions while Teledensity stood at 102.97% with a 0.57% increase in Internet subscriptions when compared to October 2023.

It noted that Teledensity is an index prescribed by the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, for the measurement of telephone penetration in a population by a factor of one line per 100 individuals in the population.

The commission’s spokesman said the adjustment by the Commission was consistent with Section 89 Subsection 3(d) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA 2003), which mandated the Commission to monitor and report on the state of the Nigerian telecommunications industry, provide statistical analysis and identify industry trends concerning services, tariffs, operators, technology, subscribers, and issues of competition.

He also said such data provides information for both the International Telecommunications Union to which Nigeria belongs, and other development agencies as well as the operators, investors, multilateral agencies, and the public.