Analysis: Nigerians spent ₦7 trillion on data during the first six months of 2026

Industry data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and analysed by Technext has shown that Nigerians spent a total of ₦6.98 trillion (approx. ₦7 trillion) on internet data between January and June 2026. 

An accumulation of 8.5 million terabytes of data used during the period (the highest yet) suggests a growing pattern of Nigerian internet usage. It also shows that data costs now make up a significant share of monthly household spending. 

In June 2026, Nigerians consumed 1.532 million terabytes of data, the highest during the first six months. However, the number has now been surpassed by the 1.66 million terabytes recorded in July 2026, making the month the highest yet. 

About 156 million Nigerians spent ₦7 trillion on data, revealing the growing penetration of the internet and what it means to the average Nigerian. It shows that every single transaction on OPay, Moniepoint or GTBank counts. Every click to open the TikTok app, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram and others counts. 

The counts reveal the growing rate of internet connectivity, and the digital space has shifted from a luxury to an essential daily tool for survival, business, and communication. Compared to 3 years ago, various groups such as traders, artisans, students, and remote workers rely heavily on online platforms, digital banking, social media marketing, and virtual meetings to make a living. 

And we can’t ignore how recent upgrades to smartphones are a leading contributor. With this, smartphones now act as constantly connected computers where short-form videos, cloud services, and heavy background updates consume data much faster than basic text messaging or web browsing.

The ₦7 trillion might sound like another big number. In reality, the 2026 fiscal budget of the Ministry of Defence (₦3.15 trillion), Education (₦2.40 trillion) and Health (₦2.15 trillion) is only ₦700 million more than the total data spending. 

Also Read: Telecoms experts frame rapid mobile data depletion complaints as a symptom of a trust deficit.

How Nigerians spent ₦7 trillion on data in 6 months

Except for the drop recorded between January and February and a slight slip in March – April, the first six months of 2026 show a growing pattern of data consumption by Nigeria. Every month from March to June came with a month-on-month increase.

Q1 2026

In January, 151.5 million internet users consumed 1.385 million terabytes of data. In monetary terms, about ₦1.133 trillion (at a 1 GB = ₦800 rate) was spent on data during the month. On per user count, 9.6 GB of data, or say ₦7,680, was expended by each subscriber during the month.

The data consumption in February dropped to 1.26 million terabytes, attributed to slowing spending patterns that come from the December holidays. On spendings, the 153.1 million internet users recorded during the month paid ₦1.032 trillion for internet access. 

On per subscriber count, the spending translates to about 8.6 GB (₦6,880) of data used per head. 

March saw a spike in data usage at 1.422 million terabytes, surpassing January’s consumption. Further breakdown shows ₦1.165 trillion was spent by 153.8 million users recorded during the month. Individual usage stood at 9.7 GB (₦7,760). 

And for the first three months, Nigerians spent ₦3.33 trillion on data, with a cumulative consumption of 4.067 million terabytes of data. 

Q2 2026 

Data usage in April saw a slight slip, dropping to 1.414 million terabytes from March’s 1.422 million terabytes. In contrast, internet users increased to 154.7 million, with spending of ₦1.159 trillion on data during the month. Data usage per subscriber stood at 9.37 GB (₦7,492).

In May, internet usage rose to 1.504 million terabytes and surpassed the previous months. The total amount spent on consuming that data by the 157.4 million internet users recorded in May was ₦1.232 trillion. 

Individual count during the month rose to 9.79 GB at an average spending of ₦7,828.

June reflected the growing internet usage as its 156.85 million users consumed 1.532 terabytes of data, the highest during the first half of 2026. In monetary terms show that ₦1.255 trillion was the cost of staying on the internet during the month. Data usage per subscriber rose to 10 GB (₦8,002).

For the second quarter of the year, ₦3.646 trillion was spent to consume 4.45 million terabytes of data. 

In sum, data consumption stood at 8.519 million terabytes between January and June 2026, with ₦6.97 trillion spent on acquiring that data. 

Matters on the ground 

Fibre cuts still stand as a leading threat to quality network experience. Between January and June 2026, over 5,000 fibre cuts were recorded according to data provided by the NCC. Also, a large part of the incidents were attributed to cuts during road construction and rehabilitation.

Every fibre cut can result in degraded network quality or a significant outage, affecting businesses and digital payments. The issue is particularly significant because telecom infrastructure is a critical national lifeline that connects key sectors such as Education, Health, Banking, Security, Communication and Government services. 

NCC, through the NCC’s EVC/CEO Dr Aminu Maida, has pledged periodic intervention. As part of this, the commission encouraged construction companies and engineers to exercise caution and adopt protective measures to prevent fibre cuts during road construction and repairs nationwide. 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed construction companies and engineers to exercise caution and adopt protective measures to prevent fibre cuts during road construction and rehabilitation nationwide

There are also chants on rapid data depletion. 

Mobile network providers, especially MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria, have been under serious scrutiny since the start of 2926 with the issue becoming a major source of public outrage for Nigerians. 

The spending of ₦7 trillion on data usage makes the pain more understandable. In addition, the significance of mobile data in this digital age cannot be overemphasised. When it depletes faster than anticipated or planned, it affects daily productivity and livelihood.

Both Nigerians, stakeholders and experts have called on regulators such as the NCC and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for more scrutiny and to conduct periodic technical audits on network providers.