Nigeria’s appetite for internet services delivered a windfall for two of the country’s biggest telecom operators in 2025, with MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria generating more than N3.6 trillion from data services alone.
Financial records reveal that data has clearly surpassed voice as the primary driver of revenue. Posting N2.8 trillion in data revenue for the year ending December 31, 2025, MTN showed a dramatic increase from the prior year.
While average monthly use rose to 13.1 GB per customer, the corporation said data traffic had risen 34%.
Airtel Nigeria also experienced strong growth, reporting N838.6 billion in data revenue for its nine-month period ending December 2025.
Supported by greater smartphone penetration and increased video streaming, client usage rose to 10.7GB per month.
The News Chronicle gathered that while last year’s 50% tariff change approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission increased revenue, the larger story is Nigeria’s digital revolution.
As more Nigerians embraced online work, video content creation, gaming, and virtual meetings, monthly data consumption hit unprecedented levels—1.38 million terabytes in December 2025.
MTN spent around N1 trillion on network expansion to match Airtel, thereby enhancing fibre deployment across the country.
As demand continues to grow, industry leaders say network improvements will remain a top priority in 2026.
