Nigeria’s appetite for data is growing fast. According to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) industry statistics reported by TechCabal on 13 October 2026, Nigerians consumed 11.94 million terabytes of internet data in the first eight months of 2026, roughly 90% of the total for the whole of 2025. With four months still to go, this year’s usage is on track to clearly exceed last year’s.

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this is more than a telecoms statistic. It signals where customers are, how they want to be served, and what kind of connectivity a modern business needs.

What the numbers show

• Monthly usage is climbing. Consumption was lowest in February at 1.26 million terabytes, rose to about 1.4 million in March, passed 1.5 million in June and reached 1.76 million terabytes in August.
• More connections. Roughly 800,000 new internet subscriptions were added in August alone, according to an industry expert citing NCC figures.
• Faster networks. 4G’s share of mobile subscriptions rose to 54.77% in August, and 5G to 4.92%, together about 60% of mobile subscriptions.
• Broadband reach. THISDAY, citing NCC data, reported broadband penetration of 57.40% in July 2026, up from 48.81% in August 2025.
• Economic weight. The same NCC figures put the telecoms sector’s contribution to GDP at 9.72% in the second quarter of 2026.

Total telecom subscriptions reached 197.42 million in August. MTN recorded 84.56 million internet subscriptions, followed by Airtel with 56.94 million and Globacom with 15.76 million. Note that subscriptions count connections, not unique people, since many Nigerians carry more than one SIM.

What is driving the growth

Industry analysts point to two forces. First, more people are getting connected. Second, existing users are doing more data-heavy things: streaming video on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Netflix, alongside online banking, digital payments, cloud services, remote work tools, online learning and AI applications. These are informed assessments rather than a measured breakdown of traffic, but they match what most businesses see among their own customers.

A new policy may add to demand. On 1 October 2026, the NCC introduced zero-rated access to designated educational platforms, giving eligible users up to 100MB of free daily data for learning.

What it means for small businesses

Your customers are online, and on video

Rising data use, driven heavily by video, means customers are increasingly discovering, comparing and buying through their phones. Short product videos, WhatsApp catalogues and mobile-friendly websites are no longer extras. At the same time, many users still watch their data budgets, so keep pages light and images compressed.

Networks will be under pressure

More traffic means more strain on operators’ capacity. Experts say sustained investment in fibre, network capacity and spectrum will be needed to maintain quality. Until that catches up, businesses that depend on the internet for payments, cloud accounting or customer service should plan for slowdowns and outages.

Data costs belong in your budget

If your team relies on mobile data for work, consumption is likely rising for you too. Treat connectivity as a core operating cost and review it regularly.

Practical steps for SMEs

1. Measure your usage. Check how much data your office or devices use each month and which applications consume the most.
2. Build in redundancy. Keep a backup connection from a different provider, such as a 4G/5G router alongside fibre, so POS terminals and payment systems keep working during outages.
3. Consider fibre where available. For offices with several staff, a fixed fibre line is often more reliable and better value than multiple mobile data bundles.
4. Control background usage. Schedule large software updates and cloud backups outside business hours, and turn off video autoplay on work devices.
5. Optimise for mobile customers. Test your website and online store on a basic smartphone over a mobile connection, and cut anything slow or heavy.
6. Secure what you connect. More online activity means more exposure. Use strong router passwords, update devices and enable two-step verification on business accounts.

The bigger picture

Nigeria’s data growth reflects an economy that is steadily moving online. For SMEs, the opportunity is clear: customers are reachable, digital payments are routine and cloud tools are affordable. The businesses that benefit most will be those that treat connectivity as essential infrastructure, plan for its weaknesses, and design their services for a mobile-first market.

Sources

• Nigerians used 90% of 2025's internet data volume in eight months – TechCabal
• Broadband Penetration Maintains Steady Growth as Telecoms Contribution to GDP Increases – THISDAY
• Nigeria's internet data usage jumps to 1.66m terabytes in July – Techeconomy

Featured image: Photo: "Fiber Optic cable upgrade" by Wesley Fryer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse — source