DEVELOPMENT
Nigeria’s Internet Data Boom: NCC Reports 35% Surge in 2025 as Usage Set to Exceed 13.2 Million Terabytes, Straining National Networks
Nigeria’s appetite for internet data surged dramatically in 2025, with national data traffic skyrocketing by 35 per cent to a projected full-year total exceeding 13.2 million terabytes (TB), driven by rapidly expanding mobile and broadband usage across the country, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Data made available show that this explosive growth has been building steadily since the NCC began tracking monthly data consumption in January 2023, underscoring Nigeria’s accelerating digital transformation.
National internet traffic from major service providers including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, T2 and other operators climbed from 7.27 million TB in 2023 to 9.76 million TB in 2024, representing a 34.3 per cent year-on-year increase. The momentum has not only been sustained but intensified in 2025.
Between January and November 2025 alone, Nigerians consumed a staggering 11.86 million TB of data, an increase of 34.96 per cent, or 3.07 million TB, compared to the same period in 2024. This has pushed average daily data usage to over 41,000 TB, placing sustained pressure on mobile and broadband networks nationwide.
According to data published on the NCC’s website, national internet traffic across MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, T2 and other internet service providers has risen consistently since the Commission commenced monthly tracking in January 2023.
“In 2023, Nigeria recorded 7.27 million TB in total data usage. This climbed to 9.76 million TB in 2024, representing a 34.3 per cent year-on-year growth.
The momentum has intensified in 2025, with full-year consumption now projected to exceed 13.2 million TB, implying growth of about 35 per cent over 2024.
“Between January and November 2025 alone, Nigerians consumed 11.86 million TB, up from 8.79 million TB in the same period last year, an increase of 34.96 per cent, or 3.07 million TB in additional volume,” the report read.
At the current pace, Nigeria is now consuming just over 41,000 TB of data daily, a development that highlights both the scale of digital adoption and the mounting strain on the nation’s telecom infrastructure.
A deeper analysis of traffic trends reveals strong seasonality in data usage, with December consistently emerging as the peak month. In 2024, December data traffic exceeded November by 94,502 TB, while in 2023 the increase stood at 67,794 TB. Month-on-month growth for December averaged between 10 and 11 per cent in both years, largely driven by holiday travel, video streaming, heightened social media engagement and a surge in online shopping.
Industry players attribute the sustained growth to several structural factors, including the availability of cheaper smartphones, expanded mobile internet coverage, rising demand for video content, the growth of cloud services, increased adoption of remote-work tools and the steady digitalisation of businesses and public services.
Significantly, broadband penetration crossed the 50 per cent mark in November 2025 for the first time, representing a historic milestone for the country. However, this still falls short of the 70 per cent penetration target set under the National Broadband Plan (NBP), 2020–2025.
Commenting on the report, telecom analyst Osita Odafi said Nigeria’s soaring appetite for internet services had pushed national data consumption to 11.86 million terabytes (TB) as of November 30, 2025, placing the country firmly on track to exceed 13 million TB by the end of the year.
Odafi explained that the surge reflects how streaming platforms, cloud computing, fintech services and widespread smartphone adoption are rapidly reshaping how Nigerians live and work.
Analysts increasingly see data consumption as a key indicator of broader economic activity, revealing how citizens communicate, transact, learn and entertain themselves in a digital economy.
Also speaking, the chief executive officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, pointed to rapid urbanisation as a major driver of rising data demand.
“Cities like Lagos are growing at lightning speed with more people, more businesses, more devices.
“We recognise that data is the new oxygen. That is why we are investing heavily in 5G and fibre to build a smart, scalable network that can carry the weight of Nigeria’s digital future,” Balsingh said.
Despite the gains, regulators have cautioned that infrastructure strain remains a major concern.
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, acknowledged that while progress has been made, service quality still requires improvement.
“Quality of service today is not yet where we want it to be, but it is equally true that we are no longer where we used to be,” Maida said, noting that operators are being compelled to accelerate investment while enhancing customer experience.
For telecom operators and internet service providers, the rising figures signal both opportunity and urgency. Maintaining the current growth trajectory will require aggressive expansion of network capacity, stronger resilience and smarter infrastructure design.
From a policy perspective, analysts argue that sustained progress will depend on faster execution of the 90,000-kilometre national fibre rollout under Project BRIDGE, resolution of right-of-way bottlenecks, elimination of multiple taxation at sub-national levels and improved security to reduce operating costs and curb infrastructure vandalism.
If these longstanding constraints are addressed, Odafi believes Nigeria’s current data boom may not represent a peak, but rather the opening phase of a far-reaching digital transformation with profound economic and social implications.