Nigeria’s Data Consumption Hits 1.42m Terabytes Amid Digital Boom

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

Nigeria’s appetite for digital services continued to soar in the first quarter of 2026, with consumers using about 1.42 million terabytes of data by March, highlighting the country’s deepening dependence on Internet connectivity, streaming platforms, digital payments and online services.

The latest figures were disclosed by the Nigerian Communications Commission during the 2026 Workshop for Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications held in Lagos.

The telecoms regulator said the volume represented a sharp increase from the 995,000 terabytes recorded within the same period in 2025, reflecting the rapid expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy.

Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Aminu Maida, said the surge in data consumption was driven by increased use of digital platforms across banking, e-commerce, education, entertainment and technology-based services.

Represented at the event by the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, Maida stated that the growth in broadband usage had further widened access to digital services and strengthened economic inclusion.

According to him, Nigerians now consume data equivalent to nearly 15 million hours of high-definition video streaming daily, compared to about 10.7 million hours recorded in the previous year.

He also disclosed that broadband penetration rose to 54.3 per cent in 2026 from 47.7 per cent in 2025, attributing the increase to sustained investments in telecoms infrastructure and network expansion projects.

The NCC boss said operators invested more than one billion dollars in expanding network capacity last year, while mobile network providers added thousands of telecom sites to improve service quality and coverage, especially in underserved communities.

Despite the progress recorded in the sector, the Commission raised concerns over increasing threats to telecommunications infrastructure across the country.

Maida warned that vandalism, fibre optic cuts, theft and sabotage continued to endanger telecommunications facilities classified as Critical National Information Infrastructure.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had designated telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure, requiring stronger protection from government institutions, security agencies, industry operators and citizens because of its strategic national importance,” he said.

He noted that attacks on telecom infrastructure posed serious risks to national security, service reliability and consumer confidence in the digital economy.

The NCC said it had intensified collaboration with security agencies, telecom operators and relevant institutions to tackle the menace through asset mapping, enforcement and public advocacy.

According to the Commission, its partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser has already helped disrupt criminal syndicates involved in the vandalism and illegal sale of telecom equipment.

The regulator also disclosed that it introduced the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System to curb SIM-related crimes, identity theft and electronic fraud linked to telecommunications services.

Maida further revealed that the Commission had partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at combating telecom-enabled financial crimes.

He added that the NCC would deepen collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the National Identity Management Commission and other agencies to strengthen consumer protection and fight cybercrime.

The NCC chief, however, identified misinformation, hate speech, online exploitation, data privacy breaches and cyber threats as emerging challenges associated with increasing Internet penetration.

According to him, the Commission had reviewed the Internet Code of Practice to promote responsible online behaviour while balancing innovation and consumer protection.

Also speaking at the workshop, Chairman of the NCC Governing Board, Chief Idris Olorunnimbe, said digital technology had fundamentally transformed governance, commerce, security and social interactions.

He stressed the need for stronger institutional cooperation and improved judicial understanding of the evolving digital and telecommunications landscape.

Olorunnimbe expressed confidence that the workshop would enhance the capacity of judges and judicial officers to effectively handle telecoms-related disputes and contribute to the protection of Nigeria’s digital economy.