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By Chinenye Anuforo
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Nigeria’s digital economy is gaining momentum, with latest figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showing telecom subscriptions rising to 182.2 million, even as data consumption continues to surge. The trend highlights growing dependence on internet services across sectors, fuelling expansion in connectivity nationwide.
Active telecom subscriptions rose to 182.2 million in January 2026, up from 169.3 million recorded in January 2025, highlighting continued expansion in mobile connectivity across Africa’s largest telecom market.
But the more striking trend is the explosion in data usage.
Total internet consumption climbed sharply to 1,385,536.04 terabytes in January 2026, a significant leap from 1,000,930.60 terabytes recorded in the same period last year, highlighting the country’s deepening reliance on digital platforms for communication, entertainment, business, and work.
Internet subscriptions also increased to 151.6 million, compared to 141.7 million a year earlier, reflecting a growing online population driven by smartphone penetration and expanding broadband infrastructure.
Teledensity rose to 84.06 per cent from 78.10 per cent, indicating wider access to telecom services nationwide.
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A breakdown of the market showed MTN Nigeria retaining its dominant position with 94.2 million subscribers, accounting for 51.78 per cent of the total market. Airtel Nigeria followed with 62.04 million subscribers (34.09 per cent), while Globacom recorded 22.46 million (12.34 per cent). 9mobile (T2) trailed with 3.26 million subscribers, representing just 1.79 per cent.
The data also highlighted a decisive shift in network usage, as Nigerians migrate to faster internet technologies.
4G now accounts for 53.41 per cent of total connections, up from 47.23 per cent a year earlier, while 5G adoption is gradually gaining ground, rising to 3.94 per cent from 2.54 per cent.
Conversely, legacy networks are fading. 2G usage declined to 36.97 per cent from 41.63 per cent, while 3G dropped to 5.67 per cent from 8.60 per cent show a clear transition toward high-speed connectivity.
Industry experts said the surge in data consumption is being driven by increased video streaming, social media usage, remote work, fintech services, and the rapid digitisation of everyday life.
They warned, however, that the sharp rise in demand will put increasing pressure on telecom operators to expand capacity, improve service quality, and sustain investments in broadband infrastructure.
With digital economy gaining momentum, the telecom sector is expected to remain a critical enabler, powering everything from financial services to e-commerce while shaping how millions of Nigerians live, work, and connect in an increasingly digital world.
