Nigeria’s internet economy surged in 2025, with total subscribers rising to 148.2 million by December, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). That figure represents 68.3 per cent population penetration, underscoring the country’s expanding digital footprint despite economic headwinds and a 50 per cent tariff increase during the year.
The telecoms market has effectively become a duopoly.
- MTN Nigeria retained its position as market leader.
- Airtel Nigeria recorded the fastest growth, adding 1 million new subscribers in December alone.
Together, both operators now command approximately 86 per cent of Nigeria’s internet market, leaving Globacom and 9mobile (now T2) with a significantly smaller share.
Internet access wasn’t just about connectivity – consumption soared.
- Total data usage (2025): 13.25 million terabytes
- Year-on-year growth: 35 per cent
- Average daily data spend: ₦20.87 billion
- Annual data spend: ₦7.62 trillion (≈ $5.58 billion)
- Average cost per GB: Increased from ₦287 to ₦575
The surge in spending reflects both higher tariffs and heavier usage across streaming, remote work, online education, and social media platforms.
Despite record revenues, service quality remains uneven. Between January and August 2025, thousands of fibre cuts, largely linked to road construction and vandalism, disrupted connectivity nationwide.
Subscribers continue to report service interruptions, particularly in high-density urban centres such as Lagos and Kano.
Technology adoption trends show a clear hierarchy:
- 4G LTE: 52.95 per cent market share (dominant standard)
- 2G: 37.37 per cent (still prevalent in rural areas)
- 5G: 3.77 per cent (limited by device cost and infrastructure gaps)
While 5G deployment continues, 4G remains the backbone of Nigeria’s broadband ecosystem.
Under the National Broadband Plan, the NCC projected 70 per cent broadband penetration by end-2025. Actual broadband penetration closed at 51.97 per cent, falling short of the target.
Still, the ICT sector delivered strong economic impact, contributing ₦7.47 trillion to GDP in Q3 2025 alone, reflecting the sector’s growing importance to national output.
Nigeria is more connected than ever, with nearly 148 million subscribers and trillions spent on data annually. However, as operators return to profitability and government revenues rise, subscribers are increasingly demanding improved service quality to match rising costs.
In 2026, the industry’s biggest test may not be expanding access, but improving reliability and user experience for the millions already online.
