MTN, Airtel rake in N3.6trn from data consumption boom in 2025

Two leading telecommunications operators in Nigeria, MTN and Airtel, made over N3.6 trillion from data alone as Nigerians’ appetite for internet usage continues to grow.

While data has overtaken voice as the main source of revenue for the mobile network operators a few years ago, the rate of data revenue growth has dwarfed that of voice, according to the latest financial reports of the two companies.

Although the 50% tariff increase implemented by the operators last year contributed to the revenue surge, industry data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows a steady rise in data consumption by Nigerians throughout the year.

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**What the data is saying **

Specifically, MTN Nigeria generated N2.8 trillion from data for the year ended December 31, 2025, representing a 74.5% growth over the N1.6 trillion recorded in 2024.

MTN further disclosed that its data traffic increased by 34.0% and average usage per subscriber rose by 20% to 13.1GB for the year.

• “The structural demand for data in Nigeria was demonstrated by the 34.0% increase in data traffic on our network that underpinned our strong service revenue growth in the period,” MTN CEO, Karl Toriola stated in the report.

Similarly, Airtel Nigeria in its latest financial results covering the 9-month ended December 31, 2025, reported a 67.4% growth in data revenue as it raked in N838.6 billion ($560 million) compared with the N500.8 billion (344 million) it posted in the same period of 2024.

• On Airtel, data usage per customer increased by 26.2% to 10.7 GB per month from 8.4 GB in the prior period, with smartphone penetration increasing 4.6% to reach 54.1%.

The company added that smartphone data usage per customer reached 13.4 GB per month compared to 11.2 GB per month in the prior period.

More insights

Despite the 50% increase in tariffs implemented by the telecom operators in February last year, NCC’s data shows that Nigerians continue to consume more data.

In May, for instance, Nigerians consumed 1.04 million terabytes of data and it came as the highest monthly record since January 2023, when the telecom regulator started publishing the data.

From then on, the consumption continued to go higher each month. For December 2025, data consumption in Nigeria hit another new high of 1.38 million terabytes.

**What’s driving the surge **

The rapid growth of digital economy in Nigeria has been attributed to the increasing data consumption in the country.

According to Lagos based digital marketing specialist, Mr. Idowu Ayodele, many Nigerians are looking for opportunities to earn income online, either as a main source or a side hustle.

• _“The rate at which Nigerians post video content across social media platforms is increasing by the day and that is because everybody wants to make money online.  _
• “With that goal and a strong mindset to get what they want, they don’t mind spending their last penny on data to post videos, all thanks to the monetization policies of the social media platforms,” he said.

According to a telecom expert, Mr. Adewale Adeoye, the explosion of short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels has particularly driven data usage among younger Nigerians.

• _“Apps that autoplay videos by default consume significant bandwidth, and many users are now adjusting their budgets to accommodate the habit.   _
• _“Online gaming, livestreams, and remote work tools like Microsoft Teams and Google Meet have also contributed to rising data consumption across income levels,” _he added.

**Investment pressure on telcos **

For the telecom operators, more data consumption and more revenue mean they will also have to continue to invest heavily in expanding their capacity, or else the experience may deteriorate as more users join the networks.

For 2025, MTN said it invested N1 trillion in network capacity, more than doubling its prior year capital expenditure, and the company plans to invest more this year to meet the growing demand for data.

Also speaking during a media roundtable last month, Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh, said the company is currently implementing intensive rollout of fibre infrastructure across cities and states, with further extensions planned both within major urban centres and between states.

• _“Over the last two years, we have invested with discipline and clarity to strengthen our network nationwide.  _
• “Those investments are now translating into measurable improvements in performance, customer experience and reach, including in underserved and hard to reach communities,” Balsingh said.

He added that network upgrades will accelerate in 2026 as Nigeria’s data consumption continues to rise, noting that future industry leadership will depend on long-term planning.

**What you should know **

On January 20, 2025, the NCC approved a long-awaited 50 percent increase in the cost of calls, data, and SMS.

• The average cost of 1GB of data rose from N287.50 to N431.25. However, advertised rates place the average cost of 1GB at N587.50.
• The operators also increased the cost of SMS from N4.00 to N6.00, reflecting the 50% approve by the regulator.

This marked the first major adjustment in telecom pricing in over a decade, as operators had long argued that rising inflation, forex shortages, and energy costs were eroding their margins.

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