Nigeria is a rapidly growing telecommunications market with many companies investing huge amounts in the country. However, the country is still placed with remarkably low levels of market penetration. Liberalisation has allowed many telecommunications companies to operate in an independely regulated market.

Nigeria has surpassed South Africa and is now the largest mobile market in Africa, boasting more than ninety million subscribers. Even so, mobile penetration is currently only 60% as of the beginning of 2012. It is Nigeria's rural region where the remaining market needs to be addressed, however these are the areas where network coverage is expensive. Declining average revenue per user has propelled mobile operators to develop new revenue streams from added value services such as mobile payments, banking and other 3G mobile applications. The increasing demand for bandwidth in the country has also meant operators are rolling out fibre networks and currently two operators are rolling out 4G networks.

Nigeria is also a very competitive fixed-line market with more than 80 companies licensed to provide fixed line services. Nitel had a monopoly on international fibre bandwith (via SAT-3/WASC submarine cable system) up until 2009, when Globacom Glo-1 cable started operation. Further submarine cables will go online this year (2012) which will accelerate the development of the country's Internet and broadband market.

For more detailed analysis, see Nigeria - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Forecasts, a 113 page report.

Click for news details:Untapped Nigeria telecoms market set for expansion