Nigeria is consuming more data than at any point in its history, even as millions of internet lines disappear from the nation’s telecom networks, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) latest annual industry performance report.
The regulator’s 2024 Year-End Report reveals a striking divergence where internet subscriptions fell sharply by nearly 25.6 million, yet national data consumption surged to its highest level ever recorded, signalling a fundamental shift in how Nigerians consume digital services.
The NCC 2024 report reveals that active internet subscriptions declined from 163.83 million in December 2023 to 139.28 million in December 2024, a 14.98% drop linked primarily to the regulator’s nationwide enforcement of the NIN-SIM verification exercise and corrections to subscriber counts by one of the major operators.
Despite this steep contraction, data traffic surged. Nigerians consumed 9,763,595.18 terabytes of data in 2024, up from 7,272,020.26 terabytes in 2023 — a 34.26% increase.
This means that Nigeria used more than 9.7 million terabytes of data in 12 months, the highest volume ever recorded in the country’s telecoms history.
The NCC attributes the leap to expanding broadband coverage, wider 4G and 5G footprints, and the growing use of bandwidth-heavy digital applications, from streaming to fintech and cloud services.
The data points to a structural shift: though the subscriber base shrank, the remaining verified users consumed far more data per SIM. This as a natural consequence of the clean-up — many of the deactivated SIMs were inactive or low-value lines, while active, digitally engaged users remain and are consuming more.
By December 2024, Nigeria’s coverage indicators showed continued improvement:
- 2G: 95.31%
- 3G: 89%
- 4G: 84%
- 5G: 13%
Improved 3G and 4G reach, still the backbone of Nigeria’s mobile broadband, and early 5G rollout enhanced data speeds and network reliability, encouraging higher consumption.
The NCC report shows that fixed broadband is also reshaping national data demand. ISP subscribers are now clustered around higher-speed plans:
- 80% on 10 Mbps and above
- 18% on 2–10 Mbps
- 2% below 2 Mbps
This indicates a market shifting decisively towards high-capacity connections, led by providers like Spectranet, ipNX, Tizeti, and Starlink, which expanded subscriber bases, upgraded speeds, and widened PoP coverage in urban and peri-urban zones.
Nigeria’s record traffic was underpinned by one of the largest infrastructure expansion drives in recent years. Industry CAPEX climbed from N1.120 trillion in 2023 to N2.900 trillion in 2024, a 159.03% rise.
Key infrastructure milestones include:
- 39,880 telecoms towers nationwide
- 145,141 base stations
- Over 110,000 km of on-land fibre
Operators also modernised sites to handle rising data load, a critical factor behind the jump from 7.27 million TB to 9.76 million TB consumed nationwide.
However, this expansion came with costs. Sector-wide OPEX rose from ₦3.158 trillion to ₦5.854 trillion, driven by energy prices, inflation, and Right-of-Way (RoW) charges from some state governments.
The subscriber drop, the NCC report shows, stems from the removal of unverified, multiple, or inactive SIMs. The exercise also:
- Cut voice subscribers from 224.7 million to 164.9 million
- Reduced teledensity from 103.66% to 76.08%
While the numbers appear negative, the regulator stresses they now reflect a more accurate, secure subscriber base — one that is consuming data at unprecedented levels.
ISP market behaviour reflects broader consumption patterns. Leading players recorded subscriber gains, revenue growth, and more PoPs nationwide. This suggests that fixed broadband and satellite services are increasingly complementing mobile networks, especially in high-consumption urban clusters.
The NCC identifies several forces behind the national data surge:
- Improved broadband coverage and higher speeds
- Deepening digital economy activity
- Rising adoption of streaming, mobile payments, cloud services, and social platforms
- High-speed ISP packages shifting user behaviour
- Massive infrastructure investment expanding network capacity
- Removal of inactive SIMs, leaving a base dominated by heavy users
The regulator notes that more traffic is moving through broadband rather than traditional voice and SMS — evidence that data is now the primary driver of Nigeria’s telecoms market.
The NCC figures reflect emerging challenges. Costs such as energy and RoW may slow future investment. With 5G coverage still at 13%, Nigeria remains early in high-capacity network rollout. And as consumption rises faster than subscriber numbers, operators may face pressure to continue scaling networks.
Still, the 2024 findings send a clear message: Nigerians are consuming data at historic levels, even with fewer active lines. The pattern is a sign of a digitally maturing market — and a signal of where investments, policy reforms, and consumer behaviour are heading.
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