Emma Okonji
Globacom, Nigeria’s foremost indigenous telecommunications company, emerged as the country’s fastest-growing Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the month of May, recording the highest net addition of internet subscribers among the nation’s major mobile network operators.
The remarkable performance underscores the growing impact of the company’s sustained investment in network modernisation and infrastructure expansion.
Latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed that Nigeria’s internet subscriber base rose from approximately 154.3 million in April to about 157 million in May 2026, representing a net increase of 2.67 million subscribers within the month.
Of this impressive national growth, Globacom contributed nearly half, expanding its internet subscriber base from approximately 15.5 million in April to 16.8 million in May, an increase of about 1.3 million subscribers. The achievement further reinforces the company’s renewed competitive momentum within Nigeria’s dynamic telecommunications landscape.
Airtel Nigeria posted the second-highest growth, adding approximately 1.07 million internet subscribers to close the month at 55.8 million, up from 54.8 million in April. MTN Nigeria recorded an increase of 382,894 subscribers, raising its total Internet subscriber base from about 83.1 million to 83.5 million. T2, formerly 9mobile, registered no subscriber growth for the second consecutive month, maintaining an internet subscriber base of 802,534.
For industry observers, Globacom’s exceptional performance represents more than an impressive statistical milestone. It reflects the tangible dividends of a carefully orchestrated technological renaissance that has steadily transformed the company’s network architecture. The result is a stronger competitive position in a market where service quality, network resilience and customer experience increasingly define consumer choice.
Industry sources attribute the significant growth largely to Globacom’s comprehensive nationwide infrastructure renewal and expansion programme, which commenced last year and continues at an accelerated pace. The ambitious project encompasses the deployment of thousands of new base stations to extend coverage into previously underserved locations, while simultaneously densifying existing networks in rapidly expanding urban and semi-urban communities to deliver superior voice and data services.
Complementing this initiative is an extensive expansion of the company’s fibre-optic backbone, alongside the strategic relocation of critical network infrastructure affected by ongoing road construction projects across the country.
In addition, Globacom has, within the year, deployed thousands of new 4G LTE sites across major cities and strategic locations nationwide, substantially strengthening network capacity, enhancing connectivity and extending high-speed broadband access to both urban and rural communities.
Collectively, these investments represent more than an expansion of physical infrastructure; they embody a deliberate re-engineering of digital possibility.