Today, it was reported that Nigeria has emerged the largest telecommunications market in Africa and Middle East. According to ThisDay report, this makes Nigeria the 18th largest market in the world.

This means that Nigeria has overtaken South Africa to become the Middle East and African region’s largest market in the first quarter. According to the Vice Chairman of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, Nigeria ended the first quarter of the year with 51.7 million mobile connections and hit 55 million subscribers mark.

South Africa which is now nearly 100% penetrated has less than one third of Nigeria’s population (44m v 138m) and is likely to drop to third place soon. Iran with a population of more than 70m has moved from sixth to third over the course of last year and is adding customers four times as quickly as the RSA.

Cellular News reports that Egypt retains fourth position, with a total of 30.8m, up from 29.4m in March. The market here has been boosted by the arrival of a third entrant, though as is so often the way, the newcomer’s advertising budget merely serves to strengthen the incumbents.

Algeria and Saudi Arabia have both been pushed down the rankings by Iran to fifth and sixth. Algeria passed the 30m mark this quarter, to end with 30.8m, while Saudi Arabia stopped just short of 30m, at 29.8m.

The market here has a significant element of seasonality to it as more than a million pilgrims enter the country every year for the Haj, only to depart a few days later leaving their newly acquired SIMs inactive once more.

Morocco, Kenya and Iraq all retain the same places as at March and, indeed, as of June 07. Morocco stands at 21.4m, compared to 20.51m at March, Kenya at 14.3m and Iraq, 12.75m. Tanzania, the tenth country on the list, has 10.1m customers after adding over 850k new connections in the quarter.

All ten of the top ten are into eight figures, while a further 13 countries have bases of 5m or more. In fact, such has been the spread of mobile across the region that no fewer than 52 markets have a total of more than one million customers.