Nigeria is to take over South Africa to become the largest mobile phone market in Africa by the end of 2007, local newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the information released by INforma Telecom & Media's World Cellular Information Service, mobile subscriptions in Nigeria will exceed 30 million by the end of 2006.

It forecasted that there will be 44 million users in Nigeria and 40 million in South Africa at the end of 2007.

Nigeria is expected to be added 13 million subscriptions over the year of 2006, an increase of 44 percent compared to the net additions recorded over 2005.

With an estimated 130 million inhabitants, Nigeria is Africa's most populated country. The country counted 25 million mobile users by the end of September 2006.

Source: Xinhua