Nigeria’s digital ambitions are faltering despite a slight rise in internet penetration, as high costs and economic hardship continue to drag down data usage across the country.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), internet penetration inched up to 48.15% in April 2025, from 47.73% in March.
But this modest progress is being undercut by a persistent drop in data consumption, which industry experts say reflects growing public frustration over rising tariffs and shrinking income.
The government’s National Broadband Plan had aimed for 70% broadband penetration by the end of 2025, but stakeholders now say that goal is slipping out of reach.
Nigeria’s data usage dropped to 983,283.43 terabytes in April, a slight dip from 995,876.10 terabytes in March. It follows an earlier crash in February, when data usage fell from January’s record of over one million terabytes to 893,054.80 terabytes, coinciding with the loss of around one million internet users.
Although March brought some relief with a bounce back in data traffic and subscriptions, the April numbers again show a sector under pressure. Total subscriptions dropped from 142.05 million in March to 141.99 million in April.
READ ALSO: MTN, Airtel Drive Telecom Growth as Subscribers Hit 169.3m — NCC
Experts point to several reasons for the decline, including high data costs, inflation, and state-level bureaucratic delays. Only a few states have removed right-of-way fees that hinder broadband infrastructure rollouts.
Despite the setbacks, Nigeria’s hunger for digital access remains strong, fuelled by online education, business needs, and social connectivity.
But the challenge, analysts warn, lies in making internet access affordable. Without decisive action, Nigeria’s digital economy risks stagnation.
Subscriber porting also surged in April, with 6,789 users switching between providers, a 121% jump from 3,064 in March.
MTN Nigeria saw the biggest gains with 3,960 new users, followed by Airtel (1,860), Globacom (966), and 9mobile, which added just three new subscribers.
The NCC also noted 208,482 active data service subscribers across licensed providers, though this likely reflects a targeted subset of users within the broader market.