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Nigeria’s internet consumption has reached a historic milestone, surpassing 1 million terabytes for the first time in January 2025. This achievement highlights the country’s increasing digital reliance and the growing demand for internet services across various sectors.

Data Surge Amid Market Shifts

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which began tracking data usage in January 2023, recorded 27,475 terabytes of consumption in January 2025. However, this marks a sharp drop from the 94,502 terabytes reported in December 2024, suggesting a fluctuating trend in data usage.

Internet consumption is measured in terabytes (TB), where 1 TB equals 1,000 gigabytes (GB) or 1 million megabytes (MB). This metric is essential for telecom providers tracking high-usage activities, including streaming, gaming, and corporate data transfers.

Impact of Rising Data Costs

The decline in data consumption follows a recent 50% increase in tariffs by major telecom operators like MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria. The higher pricing may have led to more cautious usage, potentially affecting revenue projections for these companies.

Despite this, both MTN and Airtel saw significant growth in their subscriber bases. MTN added 1.4 million new users in January 2025, bringing its total to 73.7 million. Airtel followed closely, gaining 1.08 million subscribers, pushing its total to 48.4 million.

Challenges for Other Providers

While MTN and Airtel expanded their market share, Globacom continued to struggle. Following a regulatory audit in April 2024 that impacted its subscriber base, the company managed to add only 313,939 users in January 2025. Meanwhile, 9mobile reported no new subscriber gains, indicating potential challenges in customer acquisition and retention.

Looking Ahead

As internet usage trends evolve, telecom providers may need to balance pricing strategies with consumer demand to sustain growth. Whether the drop in data consumption is a temporary shift or a sign of broader economic challenges remains to be seen.

I am passionate about crafting stories, vibing to good music (and making some too), debating Nigeria’s political future like it’s the World Cup, and finding the perfect quiet spot to work and unwind.

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