Nigeria’s rapidly growing data consumption is driving fresh investment in telecommunications infrastructure as operators expand network capacity, broadband services and data-centre infrastructure to meet rising demand.
Data consumption reached 1.66 million terabytes (TB) in July 2026, the highest monthly volume in the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) published series.
The July figure followed 1.53 million TB in June and 1.50 million TB in May.
Between January and July 2026, Nigerians consumed approximately 10.18 million TB of data, compared with about 7.09 million TB during the same period in 2025.
The figures represent an increase of roughly 43.6 per cent based on the NCC’s monthly data, pointing to sustained growth in demand for network capacity and related infrastructure.
MTN Nigeria’s investment provides an indication of the capital required to accommodate the growth.
The operator invested N1 trillion in network capacity in 2025, more than twice the N443.5 billion invested in 2024.
Investment is also extending beyond mobile network capacity into fixed broadband and data-centre infrastructure.
MTN has been expanding its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and fixed wireless access businesses, while also committing more than $240 million to a data-centre project in Lagos. The first phase is expected to cost about $120 million.
The NCC recorded 319,735 total FTTH subscriptions in the second quarter of 2026, with MTN accounting for 176,468.
The expansion of infrastructure, however, comes alongside growing pressure to maintain and protect existing assets.
The NCC said more than 5,000 fibre-optic cable cuts occurred in the first half of 2026, largely linked to road construction, excavation and other civil works.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida warned that damage to fibre infrastructure could result in failed calls, blocked payments, interrupted services and lost economic opportunities.
The growing economic dependence on connectivity is also reflected in Nigeria’s digital payments activity.
The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) reported that PoS transactions reached N18.78 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, up 79.03 per cent from N10.49 trillion in Q1 2025.
The increase illustrates the growing volume of commercial activity relying on digital connectivity, particularly for merchants and consumers using electronic payment channels.
Nigeria’s expanding digital economy is consequently increasing requirements across several layers of infrastructure, including fibre transmission networks, broadband infrastructure, data centres, spectrum and radio equipment, power systems and digital platforms.
MTN’s FY2025 results showed stronger growth in data, enterprise connectivity and home broadband, with FTTH identified as a core investment priority as demand for high-quality home connectivity grows.
The rising data volumes are therefore creating a continuing requirement for capital to expand network capacity while maintaining and protecting infrastructure already deployed.
For consumers, the growth is visible through increasing data usage on mobile devices. For businesses and infrastructure providers, it represents a larger and increasingly important digital economy requiring sustained investment in the systems that carry and support that activity.
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