Nigerians’ appetite for mobile data is skyrocketing, with monthly usage jumping by about 140% between January 2023 and November 2025, reaching over 1.23 million terabytes.
This surge in demand, driven by everything from streaming to social media, has pushed broadband penetration past the 50% mark and spurred a notable 18% increase in average 4G download speeds, which now sit around 33 Mbps.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) credits this progress to renewed investment from operators, who deployed over 2,800 new and upgraded sites in 2025 alone.
However, this explosive growth comes with its own set of challenges.
The NCC acknowledges that this increased traffic is putting immense pressure on networks, and many consumers still grapple with inconsistent service, congestion, and slow complaint resolutions. Operators, in turn, are facing rising operational costs, infrastructure vandalism, and logistical hurdles. In response, the NCC has pledged to focus on improving the consumer experience in 2026.
The regulator promises to push for more transparent tariffs, quicker fixes for service disruptions, and continued network expansion, vowing to hold operators accountable to ensure the quality of service keeps pace with the country’s growing digital ambitions.
