Telecom operators in Nigeria are raking in file revenues from knowledge companies as cell web consumption surges throughout the nation, pushed by a youthful, mobile-first inhabitants.
Newest {financial} outcomes from MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria present that knowledge now accounts for a big share of their earnings, with each firms reporting double-digit progress in knowledge income for the second quarter of 2025.
In Q2 2025, MTN Nigeria’s knowledge income jumped by 85.6% to N701 billion from N377 billion recorded in the identical interval final 12 months.
For Airtel Nigeria, knowledge income throughout the similar interval rose by 60.3% to N260 billion ($168 million) in contrast with N185.4 billion ($117 million) recorded in the identical interval of 2024.
Whereas the latest 50% tariff implementation is also attributed to the rising income, figures launched by the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC) affirm that Nigerians are certainly consuming extra knowledge, even because the telcos adjusted their costs.
“Knowledge utilization per buyer elevated by 27.3% to 9.3 GB monthly (from 7.3 GB within the prior interval), with smartphone penetration growing 4.8% to achieve 51.4%,” Airtel reported in its newest outcomes.
“Smartphone knowledge utilization per buyer reached 11.8 GB monthly in comparison with 9.9 GB monthly within the prior interval,” the corporate added.
Behind the numbers lies a much bigger story about shifting shopper conduct and the digital habits fueling the surge in knowledge consumption.
From binge-watching YouTube and Netflix to countless scrolling on TikTok, Fb, and Instagram Reels, cell web has turn into central to every day life.
On prime of that’s the shift from conventional voice calls to digital calls, as many Nigerians now leverage their knowledge for all communication wants.
“I don’t even bear in mind the final time I made a standard telephone name,” stated Abraham Aduloju, a 28-year-old content material creator in Lagos.
“The whole lot I do is on-line Zoom conferences, WhatsApp voice notes, WhatsApp calls, enhancing and importing movies. I take advantage of not less than 30GB per week,” he added.
Based on a telecom professional, Mr. Adewale Adeoye, the explosion of short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels has significantly pushed knowledge utilization amongst youthful Nigerians.
“Apps that autoplay movies by default devour vital bandwidth, and lots of customers are actually adjusting their budgets to accommodate the behavior.
“On-line gaming, livestreams, and distant work instruments like Microsoft Groups and Google Meet have additionally contributed to rising knowledge consumption throughout revenue ranges,” he added.
Offering extra perception on the Nigerian telecom shopper behaviour, the Chief Govt Officer of Ok-Chronos International Tech Restricted, Mr. Presley Ibadin, stated a mean Nigerian at present could not have meals at dwelling however will guarantee he has knowledge on his telephone as a result of with that he can attain out to mates or household for help.
“That’s how essential knowledge has turn into in each Nigerian’s life, and it isn’t stunning that the telecom operators are seeing progress in knowledge income. For a lot of Nigerians, knowledge is now not a luxurious, however a lifeline to work, leisure, and social connection,” he stated.
In the meantime, the telecom operators are additionally doubling down on their investments in infrastructure to satisfy the rising calls for for knowledge within the nation.
Within the first half of 2025, MTN reported that it invested N565.7 billion to speed up the enlargement of its community infrastructure, marking a 288.4% improve in capital expenditure in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months.
MTN stated the surge in capex, excluding lease funds, was crucial to satisfy rising knowledge site visitors and enhance service high quality for its over 84 million subscribers.
“The accelerated capex in H1 was deployed to help progress in knowledge site visitors in addition to improve service high quality and person expertise,” the telco said.
A breakdown of the investments reveals that MTN deployed 240 new 4G websites, expanded its fiber-to-home community, and commenced work on a brand new knowledge centre to satisfy growing digital demand.
Equally, Airtel Africa, the mother or father firm of Airtel Nigeria, stated it additionally elevated capital expenditure in Nigeria to $39 million within the second quarter of 2025, up 1.7% from $38 million in the identical interval final 12 months.
“In Nigeria, capital expenditure for the quarter ended 30 June 2025 was $39m, in comparison with $38m in the identical interval final 12 months,” the corporate reported.
Airtel can also be equipping its knowledge facilities to leverage the 2Africa submarine cable touchdown stations, boosting worldwide bandwidth capability and knowledge throughput.
