The adoption of 5G technology in Nigeria remains low despite huge investments by telecommunications companies to expand their networks.
Latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that 5G accounted for only 4.49 per cent of mobile connections in May 2026.
The figure highlights the gap between the amount operators are spending on next-generation networks and the number of Nigerians actually using 5G services.
According to the NCC data, which was updated on July 31, 2026, 4G accounted for 54.30 per cent of mobile connections, while 2G and 3G accounted for 36.12 per cent and 5.10 per cent respectively.
Four years after commercial 5G services were introduced in Nigeria, the technology is still used by only a small percentage of mobile subscribers.
Nigeria had 189.68 million active mobile subscriptions in May 2026. MTN had 96.98 million subscribers, Airtel had 65.45 million, Globacom had 23.47 million, while T2 had 3.54 million.
Broadband subscriptions stood at about 122 million, while Nigerians consumed about 1.5 million terabytes of data during the month.
The slow growth of 5G adoption has raised concerns about whether telecom operators will be able to recover the huge amount of money invested in the technology.
Digital infrastructure expert, Obinna Adumike, said the cost of deploying telecom infrastructure remained one of the major factors slowing down the transition to 5G.
He explained that telecom companies had to carefully balance their spending with the revenue they expected to generate.
According to him, 5G requires significant investment in new equipment, while operators are still trying to recover the money spent on existing 2G, 3G and 4G infrastructure.
The Executive Secretary of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Ajibola Olude, also identified high right-of-way charges and other state-level levies as major challenges.
He said some states that claimed to provide free right-of-way still imposed other charges, including development, education and infrastructure fees.
These additional costs are particularly important for 5G because the technology requires more infrastructure and equipment beyond the spectrum needed to operate it.
In December 2021, MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications won the NCC’s 3.5GHz spectrum auction. Each company paid $273.6 million for a 100MHz spectrum lot, while MTN paid an additional $15.9 million at the assignment stage.
Airtel later obtained 5G spectrum, with the International Telecommunication Union identifying MTN, Mafab and Airtel among the operators assigned spectrum in the 3.5GHz band.
However, buying spectrum was only the beginning of the investment required to provide 5G services.
Operators also need to build more base stations, install radio equipment, expand fibre networks and provide power, cooling and other supporting infrastructure.
MTN Nigeria’s 2025 results showed that its capital expenditure, excluding leases, more than doubled to about N1 trillion.
The company’s subscriber base increased by 7.9 per cent to 87.3 million, while active data users rose by 11.6 per cent to 53.2 million.
MTN also reported service revenue of N5.2 trillion and profit after tax of N1.1 trillion.
Airtel Africa added more than 1,050 new sites and 657 5G sites during the year. Smartphone penetration in its Nigerian operation also increased to 54.9 per cent.
Data usage per customer rose by 30.8 per cent to 11GB per month.
Despite the investments, the NCC data showed that 5G’s share of mobile connections increased only from 3.17 per cent in August 2025 to 4.49 per cent in May 2026.
The NCC’s second-quarter 2026 publications included a report on 5G network performance, examining the difference between 4G and 5G usage and the gap between having a 5G-enabled device and actually accessing a 5G network.
Reports based on the NCC’s findings showed that Lagos had a 5G coverage gap of about 70.9 per cent, while Abuja recorded about 65.6 per cent.
More than 57,000 5G-capable devices in the two cities were reportedly unable to connect to a 5G network.
This means that owning a 5G-enabled smartphone does not automatically guarantee access to a 5G network.
The NCC also highlighted differences in network performance and technology usage between urban and rural areas.
Nigeria’s uneven fibre infrastructure, frequent fibre cuts, security challenges and disagreements over right-of-way have further increased the cost of network expansion.
Telecom operators also spend more than $350 million annually on diesel, using over 480 million litres to power network infrastructure because of unreliable electricity supply.
The high cost of energy means operators have to choose between spending money to maintain existing networks and investing in new 5G infrastructure.
Another reason for the slow adoption of 5G is the continued strength of 4G.
For many Nigerians, 4G is still fast enough for activities such as mobile banking, social media, video streaming, online shopping, remote work and online education.
This reduces the pressure on consumers to pay more for 5G services.
It also gives operators fewer reasons to deploy expensive 5G infrastructure in areas where customers may not be willing or able to pay for faster connectivity.
However, the growing demand for data presents a major opportunity for 5G.
Nigerians consumed a record 1.5 million terabytes of data in May 2026, while broadband subscriptions reached about 122 million.
Data is also becoming increasingly important to telecom companies. MTN reported that group-level data revenue increased by 35.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, compared with 4.7 per cent growth in voice revenue.
The increasing use of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, streaming services, Internet of Things applications and other digital services could create stronger demand for 5G in the future.
Experts have also said that spectrum pricing must be carefully managed so that operators have enough money left for network deployment.
Adumike said very high spectrum prices could leave operators with less capital to invest in infrastructure.
Commercial centres such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt are more likely to attract 5G investment because they have more businesses, higher-income consumers and greater demand for data.
Rural areas face greater challenges because they have lower purchasing power while the cost of deploying infrastructure is often higher.
Telecom industry stakeholders have called for measures to reduce the cost of network deployment.
These include reducing multiple right-of-way charges, making approval processes easier, improving electricity supply, protecting fibre infrastructure, promoting infrastructure sharing and ensuring that spectrum policies support long-term investment.
Adumike said the transition to 5G would take time because the technology requires major changes to existing telecom infrastructure.
He said Nigeria would need time to achieve 5G coverage comparable to the country’s 4G network.
The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Engr. Adebayo, also said nationwide 5G coverage would be gradual because of the high cost of infrastructure investment and other challenges facing operators.
The situation shows that the major challenge is not necessarily a lack of investment in Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Rather, the issue is whether investment is enough, properly deployed and supported by infrastructure and government policies that can make 5G affordable and commercially viable.
MTN’s N1 trillion capital expenditure in 2025 and Airtel’s addition of more than 1,000 sites, including 657 5G sites, show that operators are continuing to invest in network development.
However, the NCC’s 4.49 per cent 5G market share shows that these investments have not yet resulted in mass adoption.
For the government, regulators and telecom operators, the next phase of Nigeria’s 5G development may therefore need to focus more on reducing deployment costs, improving infrastructure and removing policy barriers.
Until these challenges are addressed, data usage and telecom investment are likely to continue rising, while 5G adoption remains in the single digits.
