Musk's Starlink Snaps Up Market Share In Nigeria Amid African Push

Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service is making significant strides in Nigeria, where it has emerged as the second largest internet service provider ISP by customer numbers just two years after its launch.

A recent report by the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC reveals that Starlink had 65,564 subscribers in September 2024, up nearly threefold from 23,897 users at the end of 2023.

In contrast, market leader Spectranet had 105,441 active subscribers in Q3 2024, experiencing a decline of over 8,000 users since December 2023. FiberOne, the country's third-largest player, had 33,010 customers in the third quarter of last year.

Sadiq Mohammed, a Lagos-based telecoms data analyst, notes that incumbents in the fixed broadband sector have not been able to adequately meet the needs of Nigerian homes and businesses, creating huge unmet demand for fast and reliable internet.

"Users don't want to experience internet downtime during critical zoom meetings or when they are streaming their favorite TV programs. With Starlink, the experience is consistent in terms of speed and reliability," he tells African Business .