Data becomes N3.67tn economy as consumption jumps 43% in H1 2026

Nigerians consumed an estimated N3.67 trillion worth of internet data in the first half of 2026, up 43 percent from N2.57 trillion in the same period of 2025. The jump reflects rising smartphone adoption, broadband penetration and demand for digital services.

The estimate is based on Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed 8.52 million terabytes (TB) of data between January and June 2026, compared with 5.96 million TB in H1 2025.

How the figures were derived

To arrive at the spending value, total data consumed was converted from terabytes to gigabytes and multiplied by an average benchmark of N431 per GB. The 8.52 million TB consumed in H1 2026 translates to about 8.52 billion GB, which at N431 per GB produces approximately N3.67 trillion.

Applying the same methodology to the 5.96 million TB consumed in H1 2025 gives roughly N2.57 trillion. That puts the implied year-on-year increase at about N1.10 trillion, or 42.9 percent.

Monthly data consumption rose from 1.39 million TB in January to 1.53 million TB in June 2026. June 2026 alone was 46.7 percent higher than the 1.04 million TB recorded in June 2025.

Connectivity and network mix

Broadband subscriptions rose from 115.04 million in January to 123.11 million in June, pushing penetration from 53.07 percent to 56.79 percent. Total telecom subscriptions climbed from 182.23 million to 192.23 million, while teledensity increased from 84.06 percent to 88.67 percent.

The technology mix is also shifting. 4G accounted for 54.31 percent of mobile-generation market share in June, up from 53.41 percent in January. 5G rose from 3.94 percent to 4.61 percent. By contrast, 2G fell from 36.97 percent to 36.22 percent, while 3G declined from 5.67 percent to 4.86 percent.

NCC executive vice-chairman Aminu Maida said connectivity has moved beyond convenience. “We have crossed a threshold where internet connectivity is no longer a luxury or a secondary utility. It is now central to how people learn, work, trade, access services and participate in society,” he said.

Operators report strong data earnings

MTN Nigeria reported N1.699 trillion in data revenue in H1 2026, up 38.4 percent from N1.229 trillion a year earlier. Network data traffic rose 25.8 percent, while average data usage per subscriber climbed 15.2 percent to 14.8GB.

MTN Nigeria chief executive Karl Toriola said the performance reflected sustained commercial momentum and resilience in demand. He identified rising data demand, underpenetrated home broadband and accelerating enterprise digitalisation as major growth opportunities.

Airtel Africa also posted a 27.2 percent rise in group data revenue in constant-currency terms for the quarter ended June 2026, supported by a 15.5 percent increase in its data customer base and a 10.3 percent rise in data average revenue per user. Airtel Nigeria’s subscriber base expanded from 62.04 million in January to 66.12 million in June.

Globacom used its 23rd anniversary to unveil a “Never Settle For Less” campaign, Magic Data Bundle, enhanced Welcome Bonus, Talkmasta Reloaded and a revamped Glo Café app. Uche Ogwuda, representing Globacom, said digital services have become a transformative tool for Nigerians. Its subscriber base grew from 22.46 million to 23.68 million.

Infrastructure pressure and the road ahead

The data surge is straining infrastructure. Maida disclosed that the telecom industry recorded more than 27,685 fibre-cut incidents, over 27,000 access denials and 4,210 theft cases in 2025. He warned that protecting telecom infrastructure must be treated as a national responsibility.

The government is pushing back through Project BRIDGE, which seeks to deploy approximately 90,000 kilometres of additional fibre across the country.

For the naira and Nigerian businesses, the trend confirms that data is now a core input for commerce, work and governance. As consumption grows, telecom operators’ revenue and capital spending will increasingly shape economic activity, while infrastructure security remains the key constraint.