Nigeria’s two largest telecommunications operators, MTN and Airtel, generated more than N3.6 trillion in data revenue in 2025, reflecting a sharp rise in internet consumption across the country.
Data has overtaken voice as the primary revenue source for mobile network operators in recent years, but the latest financial reports show that data revenue growth is significantly outpacing voice.
MTN Nigeria reported N2.8 trillion in data revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025, representing a 74.5 per cent increase from N1.6 trillion recorded in 2024. The company said data traffic on its network rose by 34 per cent, while average data usage per subscriber increased by 20 per cent to 13.1GB for the year.
“The structural demand for data in Nigeria was demonstrated by the 34.0 per cent increase in data traffic on our network that underpinned our strong service revenue growth in the period,” MTN Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola said in the company’s report.
Similarly, Airtel Nigeria recorded N838.6 billion in data revenue for the nine months ended December 31, 2025, a 67.4 per cent increase compared to N500.8 billion in the same period of 2024.
Airtel said data usage per customer rose by 26.2 per cent to 10.7GB per month, up from 8.4GB in the prior period, while smartphone penetration increased to 54.1 per cent. Smartphone users consumed an average of 13.4GB per month, compared to 11.2GB previously.
Industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows a steady rise in national data consumption despite a 50 per cent tariff increase implemented by operators last year.
In May 2025, Nigerians consumed 1.04 million terabytes of data — the highest monthly figure since the NCC began publishing the data in January 2023. Consumption continued to rise throughout the year, reaching a new peak of 1.38 million terabytes in December 2025.
Analysts attribute the surge to the expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy and the growing popularity of video-based social media platforms.
Digital marketing specialist Idowu Ayodele said many Nigerians are increasingly turning to online platforms for income opportunities.
“The rate at which Nigerians post video content across social media platforms is increasing by the day because many want to make money online,” he said, noting that monetisation features have encouraged higher spending on data.
Telecom expert Adewale Adeoye added that short-form video platforms, online gaming, livestreaming, and remote work tools such as Microsoft Teams and Google Meet are also driving demand.
The rising data usage is placing pressure on operators to expand capacity. MTN said it invested N1 trillion in network infrastructure in 2025, more than doubling its capital expenditure from the previous year, and plans further investments to meet growing demand.
Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Dinesh Balsingh said the company is intensifying fibre infrastructure rollout across cities and states to improve network performance and coverage, including underserved areas.
Industry observers say sustained investment will be critical as Nigeria’s data consumption continues its upward trajectory.
Source: Naira Metrics
