Nigerian telecommunications subscribers consumed a record 1.66 million terabytes of internet data in July 2026, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission. This figure followed 1.53 million terabytes in June and 1.50 million terabytes in May, representing a 43.6 percent increase from the same period in 2025. The surge in data consumption has led to concerns about data depletion, with many subscribers experiencing rapid exhaustion of their data bundles.
The Nigerian Communications Commission received 23,396 data depletion complaints against the four major operators in the first half of 2026. The commission's board chairman, Idris Olorunnimbe, acknowledged that data depletion was one of the most common complaints, noting that data does not disappear without purpose. He called for more subscriber education on managing consumption, highlighting the need for awareness campaigns to inform users about factors contributing to data depletion.
Industry data points to a convergence of factors contributing to increased data consumption. Smartphone penetration on MTN's network, the country's largest, has climbed to 66.4 percent, up from lower levels just two years ago. More Nigerians are on 4G connections, which now account for 54.3 percent of total subscriptions, while 5G is steadily rising at 4.49 percent. Faster connections mean heavier consumption per session, as applications and streaming platforms are designed to take advantage of available bandwidth.
Average monthly data usage per subscriber on the MTN network rose 15.2 percent year-on-year to 14.8 gigabytes in the first half of 2026. Other operators report similar trends, with subscribers consuming more data due to increased usage of data-intensive applications and services. When a subscriber budgets for 10 gigabytes a month but consumes close to 15, the perception of unexplained depletion follows almost as a matter of course.
Background activity on mobile devices also contributes to data depletion. Mobile devices routinely consume data for software updates, cloud synchronization, location services, social media notifications, and advertising content embedded in free applications, all running without the subscriber's active awareness. A 2026 NCC audit recommended that operators intensify awareness campaigns to educate subscribers on the need to switch off mobile data when not actively using it.
Operators have begun responding to the issue, with MTN introducing daily data-usage notification reports and launching web-based data calculator tools to help subscribers estimate data consumption. Airtel Nigeria has also launched a similar tool, allowing users to model consumption across various activities. The NCC has pushed for greater billing transparency as part of its consumer-centric regulatory agenda, mandating that operators simplify their offerings to ensure subscribers receive full value for their money.
The NCC's Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, noted that Nigerians now consume about 45,800 terabytes of data daily, equivalent to roughly 15.3 million hours of high-definition video streaming. This volume of consumption requires continuous infrastructure investment to sustain and explains the pressure that growth places on both network capacity and consumer expectations. The conversation around data depletion is shifting from suspicion of billing fraud toward a more informed understanding of the factors contributing to increased data consumption.
Key points
- Nigerian internet users consumed a record 1.66 million terabytes of data in July 2026.
- The Nigerian Communications Commission received 23,396 data depletion complaints against the four major operators in the first half of 2026.
- Operators have introduced tools to help subscribers estimate data consumption and manage usage.
