Nigerians spend N3.33trn on internet data amid hardship

…Samsung, Apple dominate smartphone market

Internet connectivity has become a necessity in Nigeria and across the globe.

That explains why Nigerians spent about N3.33 trillion on mobile internet data and smartphones between January and March 2026, despite rising inflation, economic strangulation and weakening purchasing power.

The amount, mined from industry data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), accentuates the fact that digital access has become an essential part of modern survival and no longer a luxurious consideration.

The data further showed that Samsung and Apple devices continue to dominate the country’s smartphone market with a combined market share of 59.2 per cent.

The figures highlighted the deepening dependence of the country on digital services, as millions increasingly rely on smartphones and internet access for banking, remote work, online trading, social media, transportation services, digital payments, entertainment and communication.

According to the NCC, Nigeria’s mobile data consumption reached a record 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, exceeding the previous quarterly high of 3.86 million terabytes recorded in Q4 2025.

The massive consumption translated to an average usage of 27.9 gigabytes per subscriber during the quarter, with consumers spending roughly N22,400 each on data at an effective average rate of about N800 per gigabyte.

Industry analysts said the surge confirms that internet access has become almost indispensable for households and businesses across the country, even as affordability concerns continue to grow.

The development comes at a difficult economic period when many Nigerians are struggling with rising food prices, transportation costs, electricity tariffs and naira depreciation.

Yet, despite these financial pressures, smartphone ownership and internet consumption continue to expand rapidly.

According to the World Bank’s Nigeria Poverty and Equity Brief published in October 2025, about 30.9 per cent of Nigerians live below the international poverty line of $2.15 per person daily.

At prevailing exchange rates, households require roughly N132,840 monthly merely to remain above the poverty threshold.

For many low-income earners, spending approximately N22,400 every quarter on internet access now consumes a substantial portion of disposable income.

Analysts noted that poorer Nigerians often suffer even greater financial pressure because they rely heavily on daily data subscriptions, which cost significantly more per megabyte than monthly bundles.

“The irony is that the poorest consumers frequently pay the highest effective rates for internet access because they cannot afford large monthly subscriptions upfront,” Emmanuel Chukwuma, a telecom analyst explained.

The NCC said the average quarterly consumption of 27.9GB is equivalent to streaming roughly 14,000 songs, making 5,600 Zoom video calls, watching 56 hours of standard HD Netflix content or browsing about 28,000 web pages.

Amid the data boom, Nigerians are also continuing to embrace premium smartphones despite worsening economic realities.

Latest NCC “Device Model Adoption and Performance Benchmarking” data showed Samsung remained Nigeria’s most-used smartphone brand with a 37.8 per cent market share as of March 2026.

Apple’s iPhone followed with 21.4 per cent, meaning both companies jointly accounted for nearly 60 per cent of all smartphones actively used across Nigeria.

The figures underline the enduring appetite for premium mobile devices among Nigerian consumers, particularly among young people who increasingly view high-end smartphones as symbols of social identity, aspiration and professional relevance.

Although Samsung’s share declined slightly from 39 per cent recorded in August 2025, while Apple dropped from 25.4 per cent to 21.4 per cent, both brands still maintained overwhelming dominance over competitors.

Industry experts attributed their continued leadership to strong brand loyalty, premium features and the rapid expansion of Nigeria’s second-hand smartphone market, which has made expensive devices more accessible to middle-income consumers.

Flexible smartphone financing schemes introduced by fintech companies, telecom operators and retailers have also enabled many Nigerians to spread payments over several months, easing the burden of upfront costs.

While Samsung and Apple continue to dominate, Chinese smartphone manufacturers are rapidly expanding their presence in Nigeria as affordability becomes increasingly important.

Tecno emerged among the fastest-growing brands, with its market share rising from 10.9 per cent in August 2025 to 14.2 per cent by March 2026.

Xiaomi also gained significant traction, climbing to 7.8 per cent market share during the review period.

Huawei, however, recorded a slight decline from eight per cent to seven per cent.

Analysts said the growth of Chinese smartphone brands reflects changing consumer behaviour as Nigerians seek lower-cost but feature-rich alternatives amid worsening economic conditions.

Unlike premium devices that often cost several hundreds of thousands or even millions of naira, many Tecno and Xiaomi smartphones now offer large storage capacity, advanced cameras, powerful batteries and 4G or 5G connectivity at significantly lower prices.

This has enabled millions of first-time internet users and lower-income consumers to gain access to smartphones and digital services.

The NCC report also highlighted growing demand for 5G-enabled smartphones as telecom operators continue nationwide expansion of next-generation infrastructure.

Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro 5G emerged as the single most adopted smartphone model across major networks, recording 125,444 Speedtest-based usage records.

Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G followed with 47,302 records across MTN, Airtel and Globacom networks, while Xiaomi’s Redmi 14C and Redmi 13C jointly generated 46,237 records.

Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max recorded 40,261 usage records, while Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra generated 39,321.

Despite growing interest in 5G devices, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, acknowledged that nationwide 5G adoption remains relatively slow compared to 4G expansion.

According to him, the slow uptake is largely due to high device costs, infrastructure requirements and limited availability of affordable compatible smartphones.

However, he expressed confidence that adoption would accelerate gradually as network deployment improves and smartphone prices become more affordable.

Maida disclosed that telecom operators have committed to approximately 12,000 telecom site upgrades in 2026 alone as part of efforts to improve service quality nationwide.

According to him, about 2,800 upgrades have already been completed this year, including expansion of 4G infrastructure and deployment of emerging 5G systems.

He explained that operators are investing heavily after years of underinvestment that weakened network quality across the country.