Telecommunications operators in Nigeria added more than 12.8 million new Subscriber Identity Module, SIM, cards to their networks within seven months, as Nigerians consumed a record 10.2 million terabytes of data during the period. Latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, showed that the surge in subscriber lines and data usage reflected the growing shift from traditional voice services to internet based communication and digital services.
The growth was driven largely by increased adoption of mobile internet services, with major operators expanding their networks to meet rising demand. MTN Nigeria reported that its active data users increased to 55.7 million, while average monthly data consumption per subscriber rose by 15.1 per cent to 14.8 gigabytes. Airtel Nigeria also recorded a 30.8 per cent increase in average customer data usage, which reached 11 gigabytes monthly per subscriber.
According to the report, the 10.2 million terabytes consumed within seven months translates to more than 48,000 terabytes of data daily. The growing appetite for internet services has been attributed to increased smartphone penetration, video streaming platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Netflix, as well as the expanding use of fintech services, remote work and mobile commerce. MTN’s smartphone penetration on its network has also reached 66.4 per cent, supported by wider 4G and 5G coverage.
The rapid growth in data consumption, however, is putting additional pressure on telecommunications infrastructure, with consumers increasingly complaining about rapid data depletion and network challenges in some locations. In response, major operators have reportedly invested more than N1.6 trillion in capital expenditure to expand tower capacity, improve fibre optic networks and reduce congestion. With Nigerians consuming 13.2 million terabytes of data throughout 2025, industry projections indicate that total consumption could rise to between 18 million and 20 million terabytes by the end of 2026.