Nigeria’s internet consumption was estimated at N6.6tn in value between June 2025 and May 2026, underscoring the rapid expansion of the country’s digital economy and the growing demand for telecommunications services.
The estimate, based on data consumption figures released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), was calculated using an average data value of N431 per gigabyte.
It does not represent the actual revenue earned by telecommunications operators during the period.
According to NCC data, Nigerians consumed approximately 15.32 million terabytes of internet data between June 2025 and May 2026.
Converted to gigabytes, the figure amounts to about 15.32 billion GB. Applying the N431 average price per GB gives an estimated consumption value of approximately N6.6tn.
Data prices rise after tariff adjustment
The N431 benchmark reflects the regulated average price following the telecommunications tariff adjustment approved in January 2025 and implemented from February.
Before the 50 per cent tariff increase, the average price of 1GB of mobile data in Nigeria was estimated at about N287.50.
Following the adjustment, the regulated average increased to approximately N431.25 per GB, although actual retail prices have generally ranged between N475 and N637.50, depending on the operator, plan and promotional offers.
The N431 figure is therefore an estimated average rather than an official industry-wide retail price.
Actual amounts paid by subscribers vary based on the network provider, technology, data bundle, customer category, promotional offers and validity period.
Internet usage climbs steadily
The NCC figures showed a significant increase in monthly data consumption over the 12-month period.
Monthly usage rose from approximately 1.04 million TB in June 2025 to a record 1.50 million TB in May 2026, representing an increase of about 44 per cent.
Consumption increased to roughly 1.13 million TB in July and 1.15 million TB in August before remaining relatively flat in September.
It crossed the 1.2 million TB mark in October and November and climbed further to approximately 1.39 million TB in December.
Usage remained around that level in January 2026 before dropping to about 1.26 million TB in February.
Consumption subsequently recovered to approximately 1.42 million TB in March and 1.41 million TB in April before reaching the record 1.50 million TB in May.
The figures indicate continued growth in Nigerians’ reliance on mobile internet and other digital connectivity services for communication, entertainment, commerce, education, financial transactions and other activities.
Usage extends beyond major mobile operators
The estimated N6.6tn value is not limited to data consumed through Nigeria’s four major mobile operators—Airtel, MTN, T2 and Globacom.
The NCC data covers internet usage associated with different licensed service providers and technologies, including GSM networks, fixed wired connections, internet service providers and Voice over Internet Protocol services.
The estimate should therefore be viewed as an indication of the scale of internet consumption in Nigeria rather than the total revenue generated by telecommunications companies.
MTN records N1.7tn data revenue
The growing demand for data has also translated into higher revenues for telecommunications operators.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest mobile network operator, recorded N1.699tn in data revenue during the first half of 2026.
The figure represents a 38.3 per cent increase from the N1.229tn recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
The growth highlights the increasing importance of data services to the financial performance of telecom operators as Nigerians increasingly depend on internet connectivity.
Rising consumption puts pressure on networks
While higher data consumption presents a major revenue opportunity for telecommunications companies, it also comes with significant infrastructure costs.
Operators are required to continuously invest in spectrum, fibre-optic networks, transmission infrastructure, base stations, data centres and other facilities to accommodate increasing traffic.
They also face rising energy, maintenance and operational costs associated with running and expanding their networks.
The NCC said in May that mobile network operators and tower companies invested approximately N2.5tn in network infrastructure and upgrades in 2025 amid widespread complaints over dropped calls, slow internet speeds, unstable data services and network disruptions in various parts of the country.
The investments supported the addition and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecommunications sites nationwide, with the aim of addressing coverage and capacity challenges.
The regulator also disclosed that telecommunications companies added and upgraded more than 12,000 sites in 2026, with nearly 3,000 already completed.
In addition, more than 730 new 5G sites had been deployed across 27 states during the year.
The continued expansion of network infrastructure is expected to help operators cope with Nigeria’s rapidly increasing demand for internet services as more citizens, businesses and government institutions move activities online.
