The latest subscriber status data obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission this week revealed that, in May this year, the industry recorded additional over 1.8 million active subscriptions.

The new data released for the month of May, 2014 is the latest official data in the nation’s telecoms market. The figure increased from 129.3 in April, this year to reach the current figure has stood at 127.9 million in January, this year.

According to the NCC data, teledensity has also increased from 92.42 per cent in April to reach 93.70 per cent at the end of May. With the development, the country’s access to telephony services is inching towards reaching the 100 per cent mark.

The teledensity measures the percentage of a country’s population with access to telecommunications services, as determined by the active subscriber base. In January, this year, teledensity in the nation’s telecoms industry has increased from 91.40 per cent to 92.14.

The figure, however, plunged to 90.78 per cent at the end of March and by end of April, it further rose to an all-time high 92.42 per cent. Industry analysts say the geometric increase in the subscriber base leading to proportional growth in teledensity suggests that access to telephone services is getting deeper by the day in the country.

With the liberalisation of the nation’s telecoms sector in 2001, the industry’s teledensity has grown in leaps and bounds. According to NC data, teledensity increased from 0.73 per cent in 2001 to 1.89 per cent in 2002 and in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006; it increased to 3.35 per cent; 8.5 per cent; 16.27 per cent and 24.18 per cent respectively.

In 2007, teledensity increased to 29.93 per cent and in 2008, it hit a record 45.93 per cent. Also, with the growth in active subscriber base hitting 74.52 million by the end of 2009, teledensity also reached 53.23 per cent, while the figure rose to 63.11 per cent in December, 2010. In January, 2011, teledensity 68.49 per cent; 80.85 in 2012 and by the end of December, 2013, the figure rose to 91.15 per cent.