Nigerians consumed 11.94 million terabytes of internet data in the first eight months of 2026 — a volume equal to roughly 90% of the data used throughout 2025 — pointing to growing demand through more intensive use of internet services.

In August alone, consumption reached 1.76 million terabytes, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission's latest industry statistics.

The surge is intensifying pressure on Nigeria's telecom operators to expand network capacity, as users consume more data through both existing and newly added connections. Operators must accommodate rising traffic while maintaining service quality.

New connections widen the traffic pool

Part of the increase comes from additional internet connections. Osita Odafi, a telecom industry expert, said NCC figures showed approximately 800,000 new internet subscriptions in August alone, expanding the pool of connections generating data traffic.

But new subscriptions are only part of the explanation. Existing users are also turning to more data-intensive services, particularly video platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels and Netflix, Odafi said. High-definition streaming and autoplay can push consumption higher still.

"The critical question is no longer just how many Nigerians are connecting to the internet, but how intensively they are using it," Odafi told TechCabal.

He also pointed to online banking, digital payments, cloud services, remote work tools, online education and AI applications as drivers of demand. His assessment identifies potential drivers rather than a measured breakdown of how much traffic each activity generated.

Faster networks enable heavier use

The growing adoption of 4G and 5G is also supporting more data-intensive activities. 4G's share of mobile subscriptions rose from 54.31% in July to 54.77% in August, while 5G increased from 4.74% to 4.92%. Together, the two technologies accounted for approximately60% of mobile subscriptions.

Monthly consumption was lowest in February, at 1.26 million terabytes, before rising to 1.4 million in March and crossing 1.5 million in June. By August, it had reached 1.76 million terabytes — roughly 40% above the February low.

Faster connections can make streaming, cloud applications and other demanding services easier to use. Their rising subscription share does not, however, establish how much of the increase in consumption came from either technology.

Subscriptions grow, but usage grows faster

Nigeria recorded 197.42 million telecommunications subscriptions in August, an increase of approximately 2.31 million, or 1.18%, from July. Data consumption therefore grew faster than total telecommunications subscriptions over the month.

The two indicators measure different things. Telecommunications subscriptions include connections used for voice and other services, while data consumption measures the volume of internet traffic. Subscription figures also count connections, not unique individuals.

The more relevant comparison is with internet subscriptions, including the approximately 800,000 additional connections added in August. Even then, determining consumption per connection would require a consistent comparison of internet subscription totals and traffic over time.

By operator, MTN recorded 84.56 million internet subscriptions in August, followed by Airtel with 56.94 million and Globacom with 15.76 million. MTN and Airtel accounted for the bulk of subscriptions among the three networks.

Capacity investment seen as vital

For operators, sustained growth in consumption means more traffic to accommodate, whether it comes from additional connections or heavier use of existing ones.

"Continued investment in fibre infrastructure, network capacity and spectrum will be vital to accommodating this growth while maintaining service quality," Odafi said.

He also identified zero-rated access to educational platforms, an initiative the NCC introduced on October 1, as a potential source of further demand. Under the initiative, eligible users are qualified to receive up to 100 megabytes of free daily data allowance to access designated educational platforms.

Subsequent releases of the Commission's monthly industry statistics will show whether consumption, subscription growth and the shift toward 4G and 5G hold their current pace.

Source: TechCabal