New figures released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have revealed a fluctuating trend in national data consumption, as more Nigerians appear to be rationing internet usage following recent tariff hikes.
According to the April 2025 subscription statistics, total data consumption dropped from 1,000,930.60 terabytes in January to 893,054.80 terabytes in February. Although there was a recovery to 995,876.10 terabytes in March, it slipped again in April to 983,283.43 terabytes. This inconsistent trend suggests that subscribers, particularly those using GSM narrowband connections, are adjusting their data habits due to rising costs.
A closer look at mobile internet subscriptions further confirms this adjustment. Subscriptions dipped slightly from 142.16 million in January 2025 to 141.99 million in April, a 0.12 per cent decline. Despite the minor nature of this drop, it reflects the broader shift in user behaviour and affordability concerns within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Meanwhile, broadband penetration showed modest but steady progress. The NCC reported a 0.42 per cent increase, rising from 47.73 per cent in March to 48.15 per cent in April 2025, representing approximately 104.3 million broadband connections. This uptick highlights ongoing efforts to deepen high-speed internet access across the country, even as affordability and infrastructure challenges persist.
The progress in broadband penetration puts Nigeria within striking distance of the 50 per cent target initially set for end of 2023 under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020–2025. However, at 48.15 per cent as of April, the country still lags behind the ultimate 70 per cent target due by 2025, with a gap of 21.85 per cent remaining.
The NBP had projected Nigeria to hit the 50 per cent penetration threshold by December 2023, but figures showed it ended the year at just 43.71 per cent, and marginally improved to 44.43 per cent by the end of 2024. Analysts and stakeholders have consistently pointed to legacy issues, including poor infrastructure, regulatory delays, and high cost of deployment, as obstacles slowing implementation of the broadband roadmap.
One of the biggest shocks to the digital market in 2025 came with the Federal Government’s 50 per cent tariff hike implemented in January.
This sharp hike has already pushed data prices well beyond the N360/GB target set in the National Broadband Plan for the year 2025. While Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), including MTN, Airtel, and Glo, reported positive impacts on revenue, the fall in data consumption suggests that many users are reducing or moderating their internet usage—particularly among price-sensitive customers.
Industry experts note that while the Fibre to the Home (FTTH) segment appears to be benefiting from broadband expansion, the average mobile subscriber continues to bear the brunt of rising data costs. This trend could deepen Nigeria’s digital divide, as urban, high-income users gain more access to broadband while rural and low-income users struggle with basic connectivity.
Efforts by the Federal Government to fast-track fibre deployment and improve last-mile connectivity have continued, but progress has been uneven. States that still impose Right of Way (RoW) charges, infrastructure vandalism, power supply issues, and limited investment in rural areas are frequently cited as barriers.
Stakeholders have called on the NCC and Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to urgently address affordability, incentivise investment, and remove regulatory bottlenecks to achieve the 70 per cent broadband penetration goal within the remaining timeline.
For now, while broadband coverage inches upward, actual usage trends point to growing concerns over cost, accessibility, and economic pressures faced by millions of Nigerian data consumers.
