Tariff Hike Reduces Internet Subscribers To 141.9m As Data Consumption Drops

Nigeria’s internet subscriber base declined slightly to 141.98 million in April 2025, down by 176,202 users (0.12 per cent) from January, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

In its latest industry statistics published on its website, the commission said out of the figure, mobile (GSM) accounted for 141.47 million subscribers, leaving the remaining subscribers under fixed wired and VoIP.

Most subscribers accessed the internet via mobile (GSM), which made up 141.47 million of the total.

A breakdown by operator shows that only MTN and Airtel saw growth in internet subscriptions. MTN added 2.24 million subscribers, reaching 75.95 million, while Airtel gained 445,854, totaling 48.93 million. In contrast, Globacom lost 2.55 million subscribers, dropping to 14.83 million, and 9mobile’s base fell by nearly 320,000 to 1.74 million.

Despite the fall in subscriber numbers, broadband penetration improved from 45.61 per cent in January to 48.15 per cent in April, reflecting gradual progress in high-speed internet access.

Internet data consumption also dropped, falling by 17,647 terabytes between January and April. Total usage declined from 1,000,930.6 terabytes in January to 983,283.43 terabytes in April—a 1.76 per cent decrease.

This trend followed a 50 per cent increase in telecom tariffs, which led many users to reduce their data usage.

Analysis of the data showed that only two telecommunications companies — MTN Nigeria and Airtel — recorded an increase in internet subscriptions, while Globacom and 9mobile recorded a decline in the period under review.

According to the regulator, MTN’s internet subscribers rose by 2.24 million to 75.95 million in April — up from 73.7 million in January 2025.

The report said Airtel’s subscription rose from 48.49 million in January to 48.93 million in April, representing an increase of 445,854.

On the contrary, Globacom’s internet subscribers decreased from 17.39 million in January to 14.83 million in April — down by 2.55 million.

According to the commission, 9Mobile lost 319,996 subscribers in the period examined. The telco’s record moved from 2.06 million subscribers in January to 1.74 million in April.

The NCC also reported an increase in broadband penetration from 45.61 per cent in January to 48.15 per cent in April.

Broadband penetration is the proportion or percentage of a population with access to high-speed internet.

The NCC industry statistics also showed that there were 172.94 million subscribers for telephony services in April, an increase of 8 million compared to the 169.31 million recorded in January.

The regulator further said data consumption in Nigeria declined by 17,647 terabytes between January and April.

The decline followed the recent implementation of tariffs hike by telecommunications companies.

On January 20, the NCC announced that telecom operators could increase their tariffs up to 50 percent.

In its latest industry data, the commission said total internet usage dropped from 1,000,930.6 terabytes in January to 983,283.43 terabytes in April, representing a 1.76 per cent decrease over the three-month period.

In terms of generation, the NCC also said 5G and 4G recorded 2.81 per cent and 49.2 per cent usage, respectively, while 3G was 8.25 per cent.