Nigeria’s internet data consumption was worth an estimated N6.6tn between June 2025 and May 2026, according to an analysis of Nigerian Communications Commission data, highlighting the extraordinary growth of digital activity across the country.

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The estimate is based on 15.32 million terabytes of data consumed during the 12-month period and an average benchmark of N431 per gigabyte following the telecommunications tariff adjustment implemented in 2025.

The figure does not represent revenue earned by telecommunications companies. Rather, it is an estimate of the value of data consumed by Nigerian subscribers and users across different internet technologies and service providers.

NCC figures show that Nigeria’s data appetite has continued to expand despite periods of monthly decline.

Usage rose from about 1.04 million terabytes in June 2025 to a record 1.50 million terabytes in May 2026, representing an increase of roughly 44 per cent.

The regulator’s published statistics show the upward trajectory clearly. Monthly consumption reached about 1.13 million TB in July 2025 and 1.15 million TB in August before remaining broadly flat in September.

It then crossed 1.2 million TB in October and November and climbed to about 1.39 million TB in December.

Consumption remained around that level in January 2026 before falling to approximately 1.26 million TB in February. It subsequently rebounded to about 1.42 million TB in March and 1.41 million TB in April.

The March figure alone represented a record at the time, with the NCC reporting more than 1.42 million TB consumed during the month. Industry analysis described the volume as evidence of the country’s rapidly expanding reliance on internet connectivity.

The growth is being driven by increasingly digital lifestyles. Banking, online shopping, streaming, social media, education, remote work and other internet-based services have all increased the amount of traffic moving through Nigeria’s telecommunications networks.

The financial estimate is based on an average data value of about N431 per GB. Before the 50 per cent tariff increase announced by the NCC in January 2025 and implemented from February, the average regulated price was about N287.50 per GB.

The N431 benchmark should therefore be treated cautiously. It is an analytical estimate rather than an industry-wide retail price, because subscribers pay different amounts depending on their network, data bundle, promotional offer, validity period, technology and usage arrangement.

Actual data prices can also vary considerably between mobile operators, fixed broadband providers and other internet service providers.

The scale of consumption nevertheless provides a striking indication of how deeply internet access has become embedded in Nigeria’s economy and everyday life.

For telecommunications operators, the surge represents both a commercial opportunity and a significant infrastructure challenge. More data traffic can generate stronger demand for connectivity, but networks must continually expand their capacity to carry that traffic.

That requires sustained spending on spectrum, fibre-optic infrastructure, transmission equipment, base stations, data centres and other network facilities. Energy, maintenance and security costs add further pressure to operators’ finances.

MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest mobile network operator, illustrates the commercial effect of the data boom.

The company recorded about N1.699tn in data revenue in the first half of 2026, up from N1.229tn in the corresponding period of 2025, according to the figures cited in the report.

The wider industry has also been investing heavily in network expansion. The NCC said telecommunications operators and tower companies invested about N2.5tn in infrastructure and network upgrades in 2025 as demand for reliable connectivity continued to grow.

Those investments included the addition and upgrading of more than 2,800 telecommunications sites, helping operators address coverage and capacity gaps.

Network expansion has continued into 2026, with thousands of sites reportedly added or upgraded and hundreds of new 5G sites deployed across several states.

The infrastructure push comes as Nigeria’s broadband footprint expands. The NCC reported that broadband penetration had risen to 54.3 per cent in 2026 from 47.7 per cent in 2025, reflecting wider access to faster internet services.

Yet rising consumption does not necessarily mean that every Nigerian is enjoying affordable or consistently reliable internet access.

The country continues to face complaints about slow speeds, dropped connections, service interruptions and the cost of data. The April data figures, for example, showed a slight decline from March despite the longer-term upward trend.

That tension sits at the heart of Nigeria’s digital expansion. Consumers are using significantly more data while operators are being required to spend more to maintain and expand the infrastructure supporting that demand.

The growth also has implications beyond the telecommunications industry. As more Nigerians rely on digital platforms for payments, commerce, education, entertainment and communication, reliable connectivity is increasingly becoming part of the country’s wider economic infrastructure.

The estimated N6.6tn value of data consumed over the 12-month period therefore offers more than a measure of internet traffic.

It reflects the growing economic importance of digital activity in Nigeria and the enormous infrastructure burden required to sustain it.

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If the recent trajectory continues, the challenge for policymakers and operators will be to ensure that the country’s expanding digital appetite is matched by affordable prices, reliable networks and enough infrastructure to keep pace with demand.