Two major telecom operators in Nigeria, MTN and Airtel, earned over N3.6 trillion from data services alone. Reflecting the country’s increasing demand for internet usage.
In recent years, data has surpassed voice as the primary revenue source for mobile network operators. The latest financial reports from MTN and Airtel reveal that data revenue growth has significantly outpaced voice revenue growth.
While a 50% tariff hike introduced last year contributed to the revenue boost. Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) highlights a consistent rise in data consumption across the country.
Key Data Highlights:
- MTN Nigeria:
MTN generated N2.8 trillion from data services in 2025, marking a 74.5% increase compared to N1.6 trillion in 2024. The company also reported a 34% rise in data traffic and a 20% increase in average data usage per subscriber. Reaching 13.1GB per month.MTN CEO Karl Toriola stated, “The structural demand for data in Nigeria was demonstrated by the 34% increase in data traffic on our network, which supported strong service revenue growth during the period.” - Airtel Nigeria:
Airtel reported a 67.4% growth in data revenue, earning N838.6 billion ($560 million) in the nine months ending December 31, 2025, compared to N500.8 billion ($344 million) in the same period of 2024.Data usage per Airtel customer rose by 26.2%, reaching 10.7GB per month, up from 8.4GB in the previous year. Smartphone penetration also increased by 4.6%, hitting 54.1%. Additionally, smartphone users consumed an average of 13.4GB per month, up from 11.2GB in 2024.
Industry Insights:
Despite the 50% tariff hike in February 2025, Nigerians continued to consume more data. NCC data shows that monthly data usage hit record highs throughout the year.
- In May 2025, Nigerians consumed 1.04 million terabytes of data, the highest monthly figure since January 2023.
- By December 2025, data consumption reached a new peak of 1.38 million terabytes.
This steady growth underscores the increasing reliance on internet services in Nigeria, driving significant revenue for telecom operators.
