Nigerians’ data consumption surges, subscriptions hit 192.2m

By** Chinenye Anuforo
**chinenyeanuforo@gmail.com

Nigerians’ appetite for digital connectivity grew in June, as active telecommunications subscriptions climbed to 192.23 million, just as more data was consumed during the month.

Latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that active telecom subscriptions increased by 2.56 million from 189.68 million recorded in May.

The development pushed the country’s teledensity to 88.67 per cent, from the previous month’s figure, underscoring the growing dependence of Nigerians on mobile telecommunications for communication, business, banking, financial technology, education, entertainment and other digital services.

More significantly, data consumption accelerated during the period, with internet usage rising from 1,504,067.36 terabytes in May to 1,532,172.67TB in June.

The 28,105.31TB increase came despite a marginal decline in the number of internet subscriptions, which fell from 157.41 million in May to 156.86 million in June.

The figures suggest that while the number of internet users dipped slightly, existing users were consuming substantially more data, reflecting the increasing intensity of Nigerians’ online activities.

Broadband penetration also recorded growth, rising from 56.11 per cent in May to 56.79 per cent in June, as broadband subscriptions increased from 121.64 million to 123.11 million.

The steady rise in broadband access points to an expanding demand for faster and more reliable internet services, particularly as more economic and social activities migrate online.

On the mobile market, MTN Nigeria maintained its dominant position with 98.64 million active subscribers, representing 51.38 per cent of the market.

Airtel followed with 66.12 million subscribers and a 34.44 per cent market share, while Globacom recorded 23.68 million subscribers, accounting for 12.34 per cent.

T2 had 3.54 million subscribers, representing 1.84 per cent of the market.

The NCC data further showed that 4G remained the most widely used mobile technology, accounting for 54.31 per cent of total connections.

2G followed with 36.22 per cent, while 3G accounted for 4.86 per cent and 5G for 4.61 per cent.

The rising volume of data traffic is expected to further pressure telecommunications operators to expand network capacity and accelerate investments in infrastructure, including fibre, spectrum and newer mobile technologies.

The development is already being reflected in operators’ investment plans.

Speaking recently on the growing demand for connectivity and data services across Africa, Airtel Africa Group Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar, said the company was increasing investment in network expansion and capacity to keep pace with data growth.

“Our data growth, volume growth is upwards of 50 per cent. To support this, one is coverage expansion,” Taldar said.

He added that Africa still had significant room for growth, noting that telecommunications and smartphone penetration remained relatively low across the continent.

The latest figures also highlighted the increasing economic importance of the telecommunications sector to Nigeria.

The sector contributed 9.19 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2026, reinforcing its role as a major enabler of economic activity.

Beyond providing voice and internet services, telecommunications infrastructure now supports critical segments of the economy, including banking, fintech, e-commerce, transportation, education, entertainment and other digital services.

Industry stakeholders have therefore continued to push for greater investment in broadband infrastructure, improved network quality and stronger protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure as Nigeria seeks to deepen digital connectivity and expand its digital economy.

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