Nigeria’s internet consumption reached a record high of 973,455 terabytes in December 2024, according to data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This marks a 36.5 percent year-on-year increase from the 713,200 terabytes recorded in December 2023. The surge in internet usage has been largely driven by the growing popularity of streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube.
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, president of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), stated, “Streaming is driving this surge.” Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, added, “Social media and streaming content have been crucial in driving data consumption.
Despite the overall growth in internet consumption, the NCC reported a significant drop in the country’s internet subscribers, declining by 24.5 million in 2024. The number of internet subscribers fell from 163.83 million in December 2023 to 139.28 million by December 2024, marking a 15 percent decrease. Mobile (GSM) subscribers constituted the majority of internet users, accounting for 138.77 million out of the total figure.
MTN Nigeria, the largest telecom provider in the country, saw its internet subscriber base rise by 1.61 million, reaching 72.22 million in December 2024. Airtel also experienced growth, adding 1.24 million subscribers to reach 47.41 million. However, Globacom saw a decline in its internet subscriber base, dropping from 17.19 million in November 2024 to 17 million in December.
9mobile’s internet subscribers remained stable at 2.06 million between November and December 2024.
Nigeria’s data usage trends analyzed
The total number of subscribers for telephony services increased to 164.9 million in December 2024, up by 5 million from November.
However, this represents a drop of 59.7 million compared to 224.7 million recorded in December 2023. The NCC highlighted that broadband penetration improved slightly, rising from 43.16 percent in November 2024 to 44.43 percent in December. Data usage also climbed significantly, totaling 973,455.35 terabytes during the review period, up by 260,254.75 terabytes from 713,200.6 terabytes in December 2023.
In terms of network generation, 5G recorded a 2.46 percent usage, while 4G usage stood at 47.2 percent and 3G at 8.75 percent in December 2024. The growing demand for digital services has been a key driver of the increase in internet consumption. Increased smartphone penetration has also contributed to this growth, with Airtel Africa reporting a 37.2 percent increase in data usage per customer to 8.4 GB per month.
However, challenges remain in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector. Broadband penetration is still below 50 percent, and a significant digital divide exists between urban and rural areas. Fluctuating internet speeds and the high cost of smartphones are also barriers to further growth.
