Broadband boom meets wallet crunch as data consumption falls

Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is witnessing an unusual trend, in that, more people are connecting to broadband networks, but they are consuming less internet data.

Latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) show that broadband subscriptions rose to a record 120 million in April 2026, up from 117 million in March, pushing broadband penetration to 55.6 percent. During the same period, telecom operators added 2.29 million new SIM cards, with active mobile subscriptions increasing from 185.7 million to 188 million.

Yet, despite the growth in connectivity, actual internet usage declined.

Data consumption dropped to 1.414 million terabytes in April from 1.422 million terabytes recorded in March, highlighting a widening gap between network access and consumer spending power.

The development points to a growing paradox in Nigeria’s digital economy. While telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion, fibre infrastructure and 5G deployment, many consumers appear to be cutting back on how much data they use.

The trend reflects the impact of the country’s harsh economic realities on household spending.

With inflation remaining high and food prices consuming a larger share of family incomes, internet data is increasingly becoming an expense many Nigerians are carefully managing. Rather than streaming videos, downloading large files or spending hours on social media, many users are limiting their online activities to essential communication and work-related tasks.

The figures suggest that millions of Nigerians may now own broadband-capable devices and active internet subscriptions, but are spending less time online because of rising living costs.

The decline in data consumption also comes months after tariff adjustments across the telecom industry, which operators argued were necessary to sustain investments amid rising energy costs, foreign exchange pressures and infrastructure expenses.

For telecom operators, the latest numbers present both an opportunity and a challenge.

On one hand, subscriber growth remains strong. On the other hand, lower data usage could affect revenue growth if consumers continue to ration their internet spending.

The trend has also reignited public discussions around data depletion.

Recently, MTN Nigeria moved to educate subscribers on why data bundles appear to finish faster than expected. The company explained that rapid data consumption is often linked to smartphone settings, background applications, automatic updates and improved network speeds rather than billing errors or data theft.

According to the operator, modern smartphones constantly consume data even when users are not actively browsing, while faster 4G and 5G networks automatically increase video and media quality, leading to higher usage.

The NCC data also showed that MTN maintained its position as the market leader with 96 million subscribers and a market share of 51 percent. Airtel followed with 64.6 million subscribers and 34 percent market penetration. Globacom accounted for 23 million subscribers, while T2 retained 3.5 million users.

Network technology adoption continued to favour 4G services, which accounted for 54.41 percent of total connections. Second-generation (2G) networks represented 35.93 percent, while 3G accounted for 5.32 percent. Despite growing investments in next-generation infrastructure, 5G penetration stood at 4.34 percent.

The figures underscore a broader reality facing Nigeria’s digital economy. Access to broadband is no longer the biggest challenge. Affordability is increasingly becoming the new battleground.

For years, policymakers focused on expanding network coverage and broadband penetration. The latest data suggests the next phase of digital inclusion may depend less on infrastructure rollout and more on consumers’ ability to afford staying online.

As operators continue investing billions of naira in network upgrades and coverage expansion, the key question emerging from the April data is whether Nigeria’s internet economy can sustain growth if subscribers remain connected but increasingly cautious about how much data they consume.