Nigeria’s telecommunications industry is navigating a challenging landscape as internet penetration in the country rose marginally to 48.15 percent in April 2025, up from 47.73 percent in March, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Despite this slight improvement, the sector is contending with a second consecutive month of declining data consumption, primarily driven by steep tariff increases and growing economic pressures that have forced many consumers to reduce their internet usage. As a result, Nigeria is falling short of its internet penetration target for 2025.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020–2025) had set an ambitious objective of achieving 70 per cent broadband penetration by the end of 2025. However, stakeholders acknowledge that the country is “still a long way from achieving its 70 per cent penetration target,” and the current trends suggest that the goal is unlikely to be met within the year.
Several ongoing challenges have been cited for the slow progress, including high costs of service and bureaucratic delays related to securing right-of-way permits for infrastructure deployment. Only a few Nigerian states have eased these fees to encourage faster network expansion.
Data from the NCC shows that data usage dropped to 983,283.43 terabytes in April, down from 995,876.10 terabytes in March. This decline follows a sharp fall earlier in the year, when data consumption plunged from a record one million terabytes in January to 893,054.80 terabytes in February, accompanied by a loss of roughly one million internet subscribers.
While March saw a partial rebound, with data usage increasing by 11.5 percent and subscriptions climbing back to 142.05 million, April’s subscriber figures dipped slightly to 141.99 million, signaling renewed challenges for the sector.
Despite the modest gains in internet penetration, Nigeria’s digital economy faces significant hurdles. The demand for data remains strong, fueled by growing digital lifestyles, expanding network coverage, and the internet’s critical role in education, business, and social interaction. Yet, affordability remains a major concern, threatening to stall further progress as penetration remains below the 50 percent threshold.
Industry experts warn that if cost barriers are not addressed, Nigeria’s emerging digital economy could suffer setbacks.
The NCC also reported a notable rise in subscriber porting, with 6,789 customers switching networks in April — a 121 percent increase from 3,064 in March. MTN Nigeria led the gains, adding 3,960 subscribers, followed by Airtel with 1,860 and Globacom with 966.
In contrast, 9mobile added only three subscribers, highlighting the intense competition in Nigeria’s price-sensitive telecom market.
Additionally, the NCC noted that there were 208,482 active subscribers specifically for data services across licensed providers, indicating a distinct segment within the overall subscriber base.
