Nigeria’s Internet Data Use Hits 11.94 Million Terabytes in Eight Months

Nigeria’s internet data consumption reached 11.94 million terabytes in the first eight months of 2026, bringing usage to about 90% of the volume recorded throughout 2025, according to Nigerian Communications Commission industry statistics cited by TechCabal.

Monthly consumption increased from 1.26 million terabytes in February, the lowest level identified in the figures, to 1.4 million terabytes in March. Usage exceeded 1.5 million terabytes in June before reaching 1.76 million terabytes in August.

More connections and heavier usage

Approximately 800,000 new internet subscriptions were recorded in August, according to telecom industry expert Osita Odafi, who cited NCC figures. The additional connections may have expanded the number of users generating data traffic.

Odafi also said existing users may be consuming more data through services such as video platforms, online banking, digital payments, cloud services, remote work tools, online education and artificial intelligence applications. However, the available figures do not provide a measured breakdown of traffic by service or activity.

“The critical question is no longer just how many Nigerians are connecting to the internet, but how intensively they are using it,” Odafi said.

High-definition streaming and autoplay can also increase data use, while the wider adoption of faster mobile networks is supporting more data-intensive activities. NCC figures showed that 4G’s share of mobile subscriptions rose from 54.31% in July to 54.77% in August. The share of 5G subscriptions increased from 4.74% to 4.92% over the same period.

Combined, 4G and 5G accounted for approximately 60% of mobile subscriptions. The rising shares indicate broader adoption of the technologies, but do not establish how much either network type contributed to the increase in total data consumption.

Subscription growth trails data demand

Nigeria recorded 197.42 million telecommunications subscriptions in August, approximately 2.31 million, or 1.18%, more than in July. Data consumption grew faster over the same period, according to the comparison reported by TechCabal.

Telecommunications subscription figures include connections used for voice and other services and count connections rather than unique individuals. Internet subscriptions are a more direct measure for assessing data traffic, although consistent subscription and usage figures would be needed to calculate consumption per connection over time.

Among the major operators, MTN recorded 84.56 million internet subscriptions in August. Airtel followed with 56.94 million, while Globacom had 15.76 million, based on NCC statistics cited by TechCabal.

Pressure on network infrastructure

The continued rise in traffic is putting pressure on telecom operators to expand network capacity while maintaining service quality. Odafi said further investment in fibre infrastructure, network capacity and spectrum would be necessary to accommodate the growth.

The NCC also introduced an educational-platform initiative on October 1 under which eligible users can receive up to 100 megabytes of free daily data for designated educational platforms. Odafi identified the programme as a possible source of additional demand, although no measured effect has been reported.

The data therefore shows a sharp increase in internet traffic, but does not determine the separate contributions of new subscriptions, more intensive use, faster networks or the educational initiative.