The Nigerian Communications Commission says Nigerians now consume about 45,800 terabytes of internet data daily, underscoring the rapid expansion of the country’s digital economy.
Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, disclosed this during the 2026 Workshop for Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications held in Lagos.
Represented by NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, Maida said total data consumption in March 2026 reached 1.42 million terabytes, up from 995,000 terabytes recorded in the same period of 2025.
According to him, the daily volume is equivalent to Nigerians streaming more than 15 million hours of high-definition video every day, compared to about 10.7 million hours recorded a year earlier.
“This means Nigerians are now consuming the equivalent of about 4.6 million more hours of HD video daily than they did last year,” he said.
Maida attributed the sharp rise in internet usage to the growth of digital payments, e-commerce, startups, digital literacy programmes, and wider adoption of emerging technologies.
Despite the sector’s growth, the NCC warned that telecom infrastructure remains vulnerable to vandalism, fibre cuts, theft, and sabotage.
Maida referenced President Bola Tinubu’s designation of telecom assets as Critical National Information Infrastructure, stressing the need for stronger protection of digital infrastructure nationwide.
He said the NCC is working with security agencies, telecom operators, and other stakeholders to strengthen asset protection through public awareness campaigns, nationwide infrastructure mapping, mediation, and tougher enforcement.
According to him, collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser has already disrupted criminal networks involved in telecom equipment theft and resale.
On cybersecurity, Maida said the Commission has launched the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) to combat SIM-related fraud, identity theft, and number recycling abuses.
He added that the NCC has signed a partnership agreement with the Central Bank of Nigeria to tackle electronic fraud linked to phone numbers, with plans to extend collaboration to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the National Identity Management Commission.
The NCC recently disclosed that telecom operators invested more than N2.5 trillion in network infrastructure in 2025 to improve service quality and support rising data demand across the country.
