Internet consumption in Nigeria surged to a record 1.04 million terabytes in May 2025, defying predictions of a decline after January’s tariff hike.
Nigeria’s internet usage soared to a record 1,043,431.98 terabytes (TB) in May 2025, surpassing the previous high of 1,000,930.60 TB recorded in January.
This spike follows a temporary dip caused by a 50% telecom tariff hike approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in January, which raised call rates, SMS prices, and data costs. Usage dropped to 893,054.80 TB in February but steadily recovered in subsequent months.
Despite early warnings from analysts like Bismarck Rewane, who predicted the hike could suppress demand, usage has rebounded strongly.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest operator with 90.25 million subscribers, reported N529.44 billion in data revenue in Q1 2025. CEO Karl Toriola noted: “The demand for data in Nigeria is exceptional and will continue to grow.”
The growth is driven by expanding smartphone adoption, with 3G, 4G, and 5G connections now making up over 61% of mobile users. Broadband penetration also rose to 48.81%, with 141.05 million internet subscribers by May.