Nigeria’s internet penetration rate rose to a record 53 percent in January 2026, reflecting increasing demand for connectivity and continued investment in broadband infrastructure by major telecommunications operators. The latest data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission shows that the growth was largely driven by the country’s largest mobile network providers expanding their subscriber base and network capacity.
Among the operators, Airtel Nigeria recorded the highest monthly increase in internet users, adding more than 1.5 million subscribers between December 2025 and January 2026. The growth pushed the company’s internet subscriber base to about 53.5 million, representing roughly 10.5 percent year on year growth and marking its largest single month gain since 2016.
The expansion was supported by significant infrastructure investments by the operator. Airtel deployed 2,242 new network sites in 2025, increasing its national infrastructure footprint by about 15.5 percent to nearly 16,711 sites. The company also expanded its fibre optic backbone by 25 percent while more than doubling its active 5G sites across major cities and upgrading over 5,000 existing network sites to handle a sharp rise in data traffic.
MTN Nigeria also posted strong subscriber growth during the period, adding about 1.2 million internet users to reach 81.1 million subscribers in January, compared with 73.7 million recorded a year earlier. The figures highlight the growing dominance of the leading telecom operators in the Nigerian market, as smaller providers continue to compete for market share.
Other operators also recorded modest increases. Globacom added more than 557,000 subscribers in January to reach 15.4 million internet users, while 9mobile, now operating under the name T2 Mobile, increased its subscriber base to 843,811. Despite the improvements, industry analysts say Nigeria still faces significant challenges in achieving its national broadband penetration target of 70 percent, underscoring the need for continued investment in fibre networks, 4G and emerging 5G infrastructure.