Nigeria’s Web penetration hits file 53% in January

Nigeria’s Web penetration hit a file 53% in January, reflecting robust demand for connectivity and sustained infrastructure investments by cellular community operators increasing broadband protection nationwide, in accordance with the most recent information from the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC). 

The expansion was pushed primarily by the nation’s 4 largest operators. Airtel Nigeria recorded the largest month-to-month achieve, including over 1.5 million Web subscribers between December 2025 and January 2026; its largest single-month enhance since April 2016. 

Airtel’s subscriber base rose to 53.5% from 52% in December, representing roughly 10.5% year-on-year development.

Supporting this enlargement, Airtel added 2,242 new community websites in 2025, a 15.5% enhance, bringing its nationwide whole to almost 16,711 websites. The operator additionally expanded its fibre-optic spine by 25%, a part of a push into “Fastened Web” geared toward decreasing reliance on microwave hyperlinks.

Airtel additionally greater than doubled its lively 5G websites throughout the highest 20 Nigerian cities, whereas upgrading over 5,032 present websites—roughly 30% of its community—to accommodate a 46% surge in information visitors. 

MTN Nigeria adopted intently, including 1.2 million subscribers to succeed in 81.1 million in January, up from 73.7 million a yr earlier, marking a ten% year-on-year enhance. 

The figures spotlight the widening hole between market leaders and smaller operators struggling to maintain tempo. Regardless of these beneficial properties, Nigeria continues to face challenges in reaching its nationwide broadband goal of 70%, which was missed in 2025. 

Sustained funding in fibre, 4G, and 5G infrastructure stays vital to speed up digital inclusion and meet formidable connectivity objectives.

Globacom, the nation’s third-largest operator, added 557,243 subscribers in January, bringing its whole to fifteen.4 million, up from 14.8 million in December. 

The telco continues to recuperate from losses linked to the Nigerian Communications Fee’s regulatory audit in April 2024, signaling regular progress amongst smaller operators even because the main gamers dominate development.

T2 Cellular, previously 9mobile, additionally continued its upward trajectory, rising its web subscriber base by 63,574 to succeed in 843,811 in January, signaling regular progress amongst smaller operators regardless of the dominance of market leaders.