Nigeria’s Data Usage Hits 13.2mn Terabytes In 2025
By Patience Ikpeme
Nigeria’s digital landscape is undergoing a massive expansion as national data consumption reached approximately 13.2 million terabytes (TB) in 2025.
This figure represents a 35 per cent surge in internet traffic compared to the previous year, driven by an explosion in mobile and broadband activity across the country.
Latest statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) show that the nation has maintained a relentless upward trajectory since the regulatory body began tracking monthly usage in early 2023.
The journey from 7.27 million TB in 2023 to 9.76 million TB in 2024 set the stage for the current record-breaking volumes being processed by major operators including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2.
The scale of this growth is most visible in the year-on-year comparisons for the first eleven months of 2025. Between January and November, Nigerians consumed 11.86 million TB, a sharp rise from the 8.79 million TB recorded during the same period in 2024.
This increase of over 3 million TB means that Nigerians now burn through more than 41,000 TB every single day, placing immense pressure on the nation’s telecommunications backbone.
“The momentum has intensified in 2025, with full-year consumption now projected to exceed 13.2 million TB, implying growth of about 35 per cent over 2024,” the NCC report stated.
The commission also identified a recurring seasonal spike, noting that December remains the peak month for traffic. This holiday surge is largely fueled by a cocktail of video streaming, social media engagement, and a rise in online shopping as citizens travel for the festivities.
Despite the impressive numbers, the government remains cautious about the quality of the user experience. The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, acknowledged that while progress is evident, the strain on infrastructure cannot be ignored.
“Quality of service today is not yet where we want it to be, but it is equally true that we are no longer where we used to be,” Maida stated. He added that the commission is pushing operators to accelerate network investments to keep pace with the demand.
Industry experts point to a convergence of factors for this sustained boom. The availability of cheaper smartphones, wider mobile internet reach, and the rapid adoption of remote-work tools have permanently altered consumption habits. Furthermore, the milestone of broadband penetration crossing the 50 per cent mark in November 2025 has provided the necessary infrastructure for this digital shift.
Telecom analyst Osita Odafi remarked that the surge reflects how streaming platforms, cloud computing, and fintech services are now central to the Nigerian lifestyle. “Nigeria’s growing appetite for internet services had pushed national data consumption to 11.86 million TB as of November 30, 2025, placing the country firmly on track to exceed 13 million TB by year-end,” he said.
From a corporate perspective, the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, linked the trend to rapid urbanization. “Cities like Lagos are growing at lightning speed with more people, more businesses, more devices. We recognise that data is the new oxygen. That is why we are investing heavily in 5G and fibre to build a smart, scalable network that can carry the weight of Nigeria’s digital future,” Balsingh noted.
Looking ahead, analysts believe that sustaining this momentum will require addressing long-standing hurdles. Success hinges on the faster rollout of the 90,000-kilometre national fibre project, resolving right-of-way disputes, and tackling the issue of multiple taxation.
If these bottlenecks are cleared, the current data boom could serve as the foundation for a much deeper economic transformation across the federation.
