Monday, January 12, 2026 - Nigeria’s mobile telecommunications market has hit a new milestone, with 4G overtaking legacy mobile technologies to become the dominant standard for internet access, according to recent industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). 52% of all mobile connections now run on 4G, signalling widespread adoption of faster, more reliable connectivity across Africa’s most populous nation.
The dramatic shift in network technology is mirrored in data
consumption patterns. Monthly mobile data usage in Nigeria has more than
doubled over the past three years, rising from 518,000 terabytes in January
2023 to over 1.23 million terabytes by November 2025, an increase of 140%. This
surge reflects not only greater availability of broadband-capable devices but
also changing consumer behaviour as Nigerians increasingly turn to digital
services for entertainment, work and communication, according to the regulator.
Over the course of 2025, median 4G download speeds climbed
by 24%, from around 16 Mbps to approximately 20 Mbps, while average speeds
increased by 18% to roughly 33 Mbps, according to the commission. While 2G
connections have now declined to about 38% of the market, 5G, though still
nascent, is making headway. Roughly 13% of subscribers are connected to
fifth-generation networks, a figure that reflects steady rollout in major urban
areas even as operators contend with the cost and complexity of wider deployment.
The progress in network performance and technology rollout
has been underpinned by significant investment in infrastructure says the NCC.
Mobile operators deployed or upgraded more than 2,800 sites nationwide during
2025, strengthening both coverage and capacity.
The government’s broader digital strategy, including
initiatives such as Project BRIDGE to expand fibre-optic backbone
infrastructure, has also bolstered efforts to close the connectivity gap and
support digital transformation. This project is targeting up to 90,000km of
fibre nationwide.
Away from mobile, broadband subscriptions grew by 6% from
around 96.3 million to over 109.6 million from December 2024 to December 2025,
lifting broadband penetration from 44.43% to 50.58%. 4G remains the dominant
technology in use today for broadband internet access. 4G population coverage
is now around 85%.
Despite these gains, challenges remain. The NCC has
acknowledged that the rapid increase in demand for data places considerable
strain on existing networks. Consumers in high-traffic urban corridors continue
to experience congestion and occasional outages, while operators grapple with
high operating costs, logistical hurdles, right-of-way impediments and
vandalism of critical infrastructure.
Looking ahead, the regulator has reaffirmed its focus on
enhancing the “Quality of Experience” for mobile users across the country. As
part of its 2026 outlook, the NCC emphasised the importance of resilient and
affordable 4G networks, which serve the majority of Nigerians, even as efforts
to expand 5G coverage continue in key commercial hubs.
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