Volume of internet data consumed in Nigeria in May 2026

  • 1.5 million TB was consumed in May 2026, the highest monthly level on record.
  • 7 million TB was consumed in Jan–May 2026, up 42.1% from the same period in 2025.
  • Jan–May 2026 usage was 88.4% higher than in 2024 and 156.3% higher than in 2023.
  • May’s monthly usage was nearly 2.6× the level recorded three years earlier.
  • The surge points to rapidly growing demand for internet-based services, content and digital activity in Nigeria.

Nigeria is using more internet data than ever, and the pace of growth is accelerating.

In May 2026, monthly internet data consumption hit a record 1.5 million terabytes, nearly 2.6 times the amount consumed in the same month three years earlier.

The growth is even more striking when viewed across the year. In the first five months of 2026, Nigerians consumed nearly 7 million terabytes of internet data, already 42.1% more than in the same period last year.

That is also 88.4% above January–May 2024 and 156.3% above the level recorded in the first five months of 2023.

The numbers show how quickly Nigeria's digital footprint is expanding, as more data-intensive activity moves online, from video and social media to streaming, business, payments and other digital services.

Source:

Nigerian Communications Commission

Period:

May 2026
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In 2023, about 1 in 6 Nigerians were still on 3G; by 2026, that's down to about 1 in 20
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  • 4G became the dominant network, with its market share rising from 25.1% to 54.3% over the same period.
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Nearly 2 in 3 active mobile lines in Ekiti are on MTN
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  • Ekiti recorded MTN’s highest share at 69.6%, followed by Imo at 64.1% and Anambra at 63.4%.
  • Borno was Airtel’s only leading state, with 56.9% of active mobile lines.
  • Globacom did not lead any state, but it had notable shares in Kogi, Edo, Ondo, FCT, and Oyo.

MTN accounts for over half of internet subscriptions in most Nigerian states
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  • Borno was the only state where Airtel led, with 56.6% of active internet subscriptions.
  • Globacom did not lead any state, but it had notable shares in Edo, Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Bayelsa.
 

iPhone usage in Africa is just 15%, far below North America’s 60% usage
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  • Oceania follows at 58.9%, showing similar consumer preferences to North America.
  • Africa has the lowest iPhone share (14.7%), highlighting a significant adoption gap.
  • Nigeria aligns with the continental trend at 14.1%, reinforcing that the gap is structural, not country-specific.

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  • Card transactions also had the highest number of cases (11,972), indicating widespread and frequent attacks
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T2 finally gains traction (+677.2k) after years of subscriber decline
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