Nigeria’s internet data consumption climbs 44percent to a record 1.5 million terabytes
Internet consumption rises by about 460,000 terabytes in one year as digital adoption accelerates across the country.
Nigeria’s internet data consumption rose by 44 percent in the 12 months to May 2026, reaching a record 1.50 million terabytes, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Monthly consumption increased from about 1.04 million terabytes in June 2025 to approximately 1.50 million terabytes in May 2026, adding roughly 460,000 terabytes to the volume of data carried across the country’s telecommunications networks.
The increase points to the growing importance of internet connectivity in Nigeria, as consumers, businesses and institutions rely more heavily on digital services for communication, payments, commerce, entertainment, education and other daily activities.
Data usage rose to about 1.13 million terabytes in July 2025 and 1.15 million terabytes in August, before remaining broadly unchanged in September. Consumption then crossed 1.2 million terabytes in both October and November, before climbing to approximately 1.39 million terabytes in December.
Usage remained around that level in January 2026 but fell to about 1.26 million terabytes in February. It recovered to approximately 1.42 million terabytes in March and 1.41 million terabytes in April, before reaching the 1.50 million-terabyte record in May.
The overall increase shows that, despite short-term fluctuations, demand for internet connectivity continued to move upwards over the year.
The NCC figures also cover a wider range of internet traffic than mobile data from the country’s major network operators. The data includes MTN, Airtel, and Globacom, as well as fixed wired connections, internet service providers, GSM networks and Voice over Internet Protocol services.
The continued growth in data consumption comes as internet connectivity becomes increasingly integrated into economic and social activities.
Consumers use mobile and fixed internet services for digital payments, banking, social media, video streaming, online shopping, communication and education. Businesses also depend on connectivity for customer service, digital marketing, cloud-based applications, remote collaboration and other operations.
For operators, however, rising demand presents both an opportunity and a challenge. More internet traffic creates room for growth in data-related revenues, but it also requires continued spending on infrastructure to prevent congestion and maintain service quality.
Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has continued to face complaints from consumers over slow internet speeds, unstable connections, dropped calls and network disruptions.
The rise in data traffic adds to the pressure on operators to improve network capacity and coverage. Supporting higher volumes of internet traffic requires investment in fibre networks, transmission infrastructure, spectrum, base stations, data centres and other telecommunications assets.
The NCC said mobile network operators and tower companies invested about ₦2.5 trillion in network infrastructure and upgrades in 2025. According to the regulator, the investment supported the addition and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecommunications sites across the country.
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The NCC also said operators had added and upgraded more than 12,000 telecommunications sites in 2026, with nearly 3,000 sites already completed. More than 730 additional 5G sites had also been deployed across 27 states.
These investments highlight the infrastructure requirements created by Nigeria’s growing appetite for internet services.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest mobile operator, reported ₦1.699 trillion in data revenue for the first half of 2026. This represented a 38.3 per cent increase from the ₦1.229 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
The increase shows the commercial value of Nigeria’s expanding data market, although MTN’s results represent only one part of the broader industry.
The NCC’s figures cover multiple providers, technologies and forms of internet connectivity, providing a wider picture of how much data is being consumed across the country.
Nigeria’s record internet consumption reflects a broader shift in how individuals and businesses use technology. As digital payments, online commerce, streaming platforms, cloud services and other internet-based activities become more common, demand for reliable connectivity is likely to remain important to economic activity.
For telecommunications operators, the challenge will be to keep expanding capacity while maintaining service quality as traffic grows. For consumers and businesses, stronger networks will be increasingly important as more everyday activities depend on reliable internet access.
The 1.50 million terabytes recorded in May therefore represents more than a rise in data usage. It also shows the growing scale of Nigeria’s digital economy and the infrastructure required to support it.
