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Nigeria data consumption hits record 8.51 million terabytes in H1 2026
Nigeria is experiencing a significant surge in digital activity, with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reporting that data consumption reached a record 8.51 million terabytes in the first half of 2026.
Telecommunications leaders MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria are seeing data services overtake voice as their primary revenue drivers. MTN Nigeria reported N1.70 trillion in data revenue, a 38.4 per cent increase from the previous year, while Airtel Nigeria recorded N691 billion in data revenue. MTN's 55.7 million active data subscribers now consume an average of 14.8 gigabytes per month.
Parallel to rising mobile data use, fiber optic (FTTX) adoption is accelerating. The number of FTTX subscribers grew by 29 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, reaching 319,735. To support this infrastructure growth, the Nigerian federal government has announced plans to begin deploying 90,000 km of fiber in October.
Entities
Airtel Nigeria · MTN Nigeria · Nigeria · Nigerian Communications Commission
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] FTTX (Fiber to the X) subscribers in Nigeria rose to 319,735 in the second quarter of 2026, a 29% increase from the first quarter. africancio.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] MTN Nigeria has 55.7 million active data subscribers who consume an average of 14.8 gigabytes per month. advocatengr.com · thecitizenng.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] MTN Nigeria generated N1.70 trillion in data revenue, a 38.4 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2025. advocatengr.com · thecitizenng.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Airtel Nigeria recorded N691 billion ($507 million) in data revenue. advocatengr.com · thecitizenng.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Nigerian federal government plans to begin the deployment of 90,000 km of fiber in October. africancio.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nigerians consumed 8.51 million terabytes of data in the first half of 2026. advocatengr.com · thecitizenng.com