According to the latest market data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), broadband penetration reached a new peak by March 2026, reflecting a year-on-year increase compared to the same period in 2025.

Nigeria’s broadband penetration continued its upward trajectory in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting steady improvements in digital infrastructure, mobile connectivity, and data consumption patterns.

As of March 2026, broadband penetration reached 54.30%, up from 51.97% recorded in December 2025, which is a 2.32% in the first quarter 2026, signaling gradual but consistent growth beyond the 50% threshold.

In absolute terms, broadband subscriptions climbed to approximately 117,710,397, driven largely by mobile broadband adoption across GSM networks.

Key Drivers of Growth

The expansion of broadband penetration in Q1 2026 can be attributed to several factors, such as the mobile-first internet access nature of the country.

Over 99% of broadband connections in Nigeria are mobile-based, making smartphones the primary gateway to connectivity.

4G remains the leading technology, while 5G adoption is gradually increasing, while rapid urbanisation, especially in cities like Lagos, continues to push demand for high-speed connectivity.

Despite the progress, industry watchers believe there are lots of rooms for growth like reducing the persistent challenges of infrastructure deficits in rural areas, high cost of right-of-way charges, power supply constraints, and limited fibre backbone penetration.

Government interventions

Last month, Dr. Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman NCC announced major initiatives to address quality of service (QoS) challenges by increasing the number of base stations in Nigeria.

Key Highlights on Base Station Expansion (2026):

He said the Commission is targeting the upgrade of 12,000 base stations in 2026 to improve network capacity, enhance data speeds, and transition legacy 2G/3G sites to 4G and 5G.

As of late April 2026, approximately 2,800 upgrades have already been completed, following a low-performing 2025 where only around 300 upgrades were recorded.

The NCC’s initiative aims to alleviate congestion caused by rapidly rising data consumption, which has made existing infrastructure inadequate.

CNI: 

On the issue of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) protection, Maida said that NCC is collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to secure existing sites, addressing issues such as generator theft and securing Right of Way (RoW) for new installations.

On the issue of poor quality of service, the EVC stated that operators who fail to meet service benchmarks will face penalties, which will be used to compensate subscribers.

Outlook

Broadband penetration is expected to continue rising in 2026, but at a moderate pace, unless structural bottlenecks are addressed. Policy reforms, infrastructure investments, and spectrum efficiency will determine whether Nigeria can accelerate toward universal broadband access.

From the rollout of Wi-Fi 7 and early conversations around Wi-Fi 8 to AI-driven network management and enterprise-grade security demands, the next few years will redefine how homes, businesses, and smart cities connect.

The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the global industry body dedicated to driving the seamless and interoperable service experience of Wi-Fi across the global wireless ecosystem, has shared its 10 predictions for Wi-Fi in 2026 and beyond.

Detailed in full in the “WBA Industry Report 2026”, these predictions point to Wi-Fi entering a powerful new growth phase, with Wi-Fi 7 scaling fast while the groundwork for Wi-Fi 8 and mmWave is laid.

Equally, 6 GHz, Wi-Fi HaLow and mesh are extending reliable coverage from homes to factories and smart cities, while offload, fiber, satellite and LEO-powered in-flight services are turning Wi-Fi into a ubiquitous, carrier-grade connectivity fabric that underpins both 5G today and 6G tomorrow.

Tiago Rodrigues, president and CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, said:

“It is clear that Wi-Fi is becoming fundamental as the digital backbone of modern business. From Wi-Fi 7 and 6 GHz to Wi-Fi HaLow and OpenRoaming, we’re seeing rapid innovation turn into real deployments that improve user experience, unlock new services, revenues and reduce costs for operators and enterprises. As 5G and, in future, 6G increasingly converge with Wi-Fi, organizations can design connectivity to achieve the outcomes they need, whether that’s smarter factories, more resilient cities or new ways to engage customers. The WBA is helping the ecosystem make that leap together.”

Ten (10) Wi-Fi Predictions for 2026 and Beyond:

1. Wi-Fi 7 adoption to accelerate

2025 saw industry adoption of Wi-Fi 7 rapidly gather pace, with consumers and enterprises eager to harness the 6 GHz spectrum band and the advanced new features of the standard.

Reflecting this strong interest in Wi-Fi 7, shipments of APs supporting the standard rose from 26.3 million in 2024 to a projected total of 66.5 million in 2025.

ABI Research anticipates that this transition to Wi-Fi 7 will accelerate further in 2026, with a forecast annual shipment number of Wi-Fi 7 APs at 117.9 million.

2. Standard Power 6 GHz to gain further traction

Standard Power (SP) 6 GHz got off to a rocky start, with protracted regulator certifications and limited infrastructure options.

Now that there is greater clarity on the regulatory landscape of SP 6 GHz, and that a wider selection of SP 6 GHz enabled equipment has emerged, we expect that 2026 will see SP 6 GHz deployments accelerate.

Large public venues, education, and the industrial manufacturing verticals will be the keenest adopters of the technology. We also anticipate that additional regulators will make moves on authorizing SP 6 GHz in 2026.

3. Early prototypes of Wi-Fi 8 to emerge

Although the official Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) standard won’t be finalized for several years, we saw the first wave Wi-Fi 8 chipsets being unveiled at the tail-end of 2025.

We expect this to be followed in 2026 with a broader array of Wi-Fi 8 chipset announcements, and the revealing of many early prototype Wi-Fi 8 APs. A handful of these prototype Wi-Fi 8 APs will be seen early in the year at MWC 2026.

4. Wi-Fi offload gains in prominence with OpenRoaming

A plethora of trends will act to spur investments into Wi-Fi offloading in 2026. For mobile carriers, the challenge of grappling with ever-increasing traffic on their cellular networks, alongside the need to improve connectivity experiences for their customers, will drive them to expand their Wi-Fi offloading capabilities.

Many smart cities on the other hand will look to leverage Wi-Fi offloading to provide both residents and tourists with continuous free connectivity, as well as enabling a range of new applications, from smart traffic to disaster prevention.

Additional advancements in OpenRoaming in 2026 will help to drive this trend further.

5. Wi-Fi HaLow momentum accelerates

Following many successful trials from the WBA, 2025 was the year that Wi-Fi HaLow truly found its feet and commercialization of the technology began to scale up.

Throughout the year we saw numerous new chipset and infrastructure announcements, alongside the successful running of the first Wi-Fi HaLow Global Summit and the launch of a new marketing program for Wi-Fi HaLow from the Wi-Fi Alliance.

We expect the momentum behind Wi-Fi HaLow to continue in 2026.

This will include additional product announcements, and exciting deployments which demonstrate the real-world applications of the technology.

6. Greater clarity on how Wi-Fi and 6G will converge

The WBA’s vision statement for 6G highlights how the upcoming 3GPP standard will be built around a collaboration with Wi-Fi and on harnessing both technologies for the achievement of the greatest cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency.

As the cellular industry gradually begins to gear up for 6G throughout 2026, we expect that we will get further clarification on the exact nature of the 6G/Wi-Fi collaboration.

7. Wi-Fi on airplanes witnesses a major advancement

The Quality of Experience (QoE) for in-flight Wi-Fi is set to undergo a major enhancement with the emergence of connectivity underpinned by Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, which have the potential to enable significantly faster speeds, lower latencies, and uninterrupted connectivity.

2026 will see a multitude of airlines, including British Airways (BA) and United, adopt in-flight Wi-Fi solutions supported by LEO satellite constellations for the first time.

BA, alongside many others, will at the same time make Wi-Fi access available for free to all passengers, irrespective of their travelling class, greatly expanding in-flight Wi-Fi access.

8. Advances in broadband access improve and expand connectivity

Fiber penetration will continue to rise across 2026, with the number of fiber broadband subscriptions reaching a new record of 808.7 million at the end of 2026, up from an estimated 776.3 million at the close of 2025, which itself was a major leap from the 745.5 million at the end of 2024.

At the same time, the continued expansion of satellite broadband will help to enable reliable, high-performance connectivity to the unconnected and underserved.

Accordingly, the total number of worldwide satellite broadband subscriptions will increase from 6.76 million at the close of 2024 to 12.67 million by the end of 2026.

In Nigeria, broadband penetration crossed 50% in 2025.

9. Mesh adoption continues to rise

Consumers are increasingly turning to Wi-Fi Mesh to extend coverage and eliminate blind spots throughout the home, as well as to enable the delivery of additional services.

In the early 2020s much of the demand came through the retail channel, but Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are now beginning to scale up their Wi-Fi Mesh deployments in an effort to raise ARPUs (Average Revenues Per User) and to improve customer Quality of Service (QoS).

Reflecting this growing demand, annual shipments of Wi-Fi Mesh equipment are projected to rise from 41.7 million in 2024 to a total of 63.6 million in 2026.

10. Important progress on Integrated Millimeter Wave (mmWave) Wi-Fi (802.11bq)

With the Project Authorization Request for 802.11bq initiated back in December 2024, the 802.11bq working group has now begun exploring how Wi-Fi can best utilize the 60 GHz spectrum band.

Whilst project completion is not expected until 2029, 2026 should provide us some insight into the direction which the 802.11bq standard will take, and how the industry plans to leverage the band for the delivery of the high-gigabit, low-latency wireless transfer of data.

“WBA Industry Report 2026” is here.

However, despite this growth, the federal government has officially fallen short of the ambitious 70% broadband penetration target set in the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020–2025), which expires this month.

According to the latest industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), total internet subscriptions in the country reached 144.7 million in November 2025, a steady climb from the 136 million recorded in the same period in 2024.

Technology Breakdown: The Shift in Connectivity

While Mobile (GSM) remains the undisputed king of Nigerian connectivity, 2025 saw a notable surge in “fixed-line” and ISP-led technologies as businesses and high-income households moved toward more stable fiber and satellite options.

Subscription Growth by Segment:

The Data Consumption Explosion

The most staggering statistic of 2025 is not the number of users, but how much data they are consuming. Nigerians consumed a record 1.24 million terabytes (TB) of data in November 2025 alone.

Total data consumption between January and November 2025 reached 11.86 million TB, representing a 34.96% increase compared to the 8.79 million TB consumed during the same period in 2024.

This surge is attributed to the rise of remote work, video streaming (TikTok, YouTube), and the transition of government services to digital platforms.

Market Share: The “Big Four” Leaderboard

MTN Nigeria continues to dominate the market, holding over half of the total internet subscriptions.

1. MTN: 78.8 Million
2. Airtel: 50.3 Million
3. Globacom: 14.2 Million
4. T2 (9mobile): 771,035

Despite recording steady growth in voice and internet subscriptions, the current figure, representing 106.97 million high-speed internet connections, suggests that the country will need to accelerate its broadband rollout dramatically within the final quarter to hit the target.

According to the NCC’s latest industry statistics, active voice subscriptions climbed to 173.54 million in September, up from 171.57 million in August. Internet subscriptions on GSM networks also grew to 140.36 million, while teledensity reached 80.05 percent, reflecting continued sectoral resilience.

However, experts say that closing the remaining 20 percent broadband gap within just two months would be “nearly impossible” given infrastructure, financing, and policy implementation challenges across several regions.

Government Pushes Infrastructure Expansion

Dr. Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, has continued to highlight government efforts to bridge the connectivity gap.

Speaking recently in Ogun State, the Minister revealed plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables nationwide, supported by a $500 million World Bank facility. the largest of its kind in the bank’s portfolio.

“The President decided that as a nation, we will invest in 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network across this country. Every corner of our nation will be covered with fibre optic cables,” Tijani said.

To complement the initiative, Tijani announced the training of 5,000 young Nigerians in fibre technology, splicing, and deployment, in partnership with Coleman Wires and Cables, which recently launched West Africa’s largest fibre optic cable plant.

“This will begin in about two to three months and will strengthen our broadband ecosystem while creating skilled jobs for Nigerians,” the minister added.

Telecom Market Still Growing Strong

According to NCC data, MTN Nigeria retained its lead with 90.33 million subscribers (52.12%), followed by Airtel with 58.47 million (33.74%), Globacom with 21.39 million (12.34%), and T2 with 3.11 million (1.8%), a slight improvement from the previous month.

The GSM segment continues to dominate Nigeria’s telecommunications space, accounting for over 99 per cent of total mobile subscriptions.

Broadband penetration reached its highest level yet at 49.34 per cent, up from 48.81 per cent in August, with 4G technology maintaining 51.6 per cent market share and 5G adoption rising to 3.4 per cent, signaling gradual progress since its commercial launch in 2022.

Data Usage and Economic Impact

While broadband subscriptions increased, data usage dipped slightly to 1.15 million terabytes in September, from 1.152 million terabytes in August.

The telecom sector continues to play a critical role in Nigeria’s economy, contributing 9.2 per cent to GDP in Q2 2025, up from 8.5 per cent in Q1, despite macroeconomic headwinds and currency volatility.

Analysts attribute the sustained sectoral performance to rising demand for digital services, mobile penetration, and continued investments in network infrastructure by operators.

However, they warn that unless massive fibre deployment, last-mile connectivity projects, and right-of-way harmonization accelerate before year-end, Nigeria’s 70 per cent broadband dream may remain just that, a dream deferred.

This was revealed during the inaugural Rural Connectivity Summit organised by Business Metrics, in Lagos, where Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), stressed that connectivity is far more than speed, it’s about economic inclusion.

“The accurate measure of connectivity is not in megabits per second, but in the economic value it creates or loses,” said Dr Aminu Maida, whose keynote address was delivered by Tunji Jimoh, Zonal Controller of the NCC Lagos Office.

At the event, themed “Rethinking Digital Connectivity to Unlock Rural Economic Potential,” he described connectivity as “an indispensable part of life,” noting that when it fails, “opportunities stop, and lives can be at risk.”

Dr Maida noted that despite progress, rural Nigeria is digitally invisible, with internet access still at 23% compared to 57% in urban areas. This gap, he explained, cuts off millions from modern education, markets, healthcare, and financial services, a situation he called “unacceptable and unsustainable.”

Research shows that a 10% increase in broadband penetration can drive 1.38% GDP growth in developing economies. However, Nigeria’s broadband penetration as of August 2025 stood at 48.81%, below its potential. 

While coverage has expanded, with 3G and 4G networks reaching 86.34%, usage and household access remain at 39.2% and 40.1% respectively.

Nigeria’s ICT Development Index (IDI) score also exposes this imbalance. At 52.9, the country ranks 137th out of 164 economies, following far behind the global average of 77.6 and Africa’s 56.1.

To tackle these challenges, Dr Maida outlined NCC’s ongoing initiatives through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). The Fund has financed over 2,500 educational projects and delivered 100,000 computers to schools nationwide.

One unique project is the Emerging Technology Centre at Ogun State Institute of Technology, where more than 9,000 students now have access to digital tools for innovation.

Beyond education, the USPF’s e-Health Project connects rural clinics to larger hospitals for remote consultations, while the e-Accessibility Project provides persons with disabilities with assistive technology. 

To ensure sustainability, the NCC has also launched the Impact Alliance, a partnership network involving private sector players, civil society, and international bodies, to co-invest in inclusive connectivity.

In response to the sabotage of telecom infrastructure, Dr Maida highlighted the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order, signed by the President in June 2024, empowering law enforcement to protect telecom assets. 

“Our advocacy has led to 11 states offering zero charges for right-of-way permits,” he said, adding that 70 others have aligned with the national benchmark of ₦145 per linear metre.

The Commission has also been working with mobile network operators, global partners like GSMA and the World Bank, and the Office of the National Security Adviser to safeguard telecom assets and promote affordable broadband deployment.

“We stand at a strategic crossroads. The global digital race is accelerating, and we must act decisively to ensure our youth are creators, not consumers, of digital value,” Dr Maida said.

He urged governors to support right-of-way reforms, operators to speed up rural rollouts, and communities to protect telecom infrastructure. “These assets are their bridge between backwardness and global relevance,” he stated.

With over 45% of Nigeria’s population still living in rural areas, the NCC wants digital inclusion to go beyond policies, it is a national strategy for growth.

This small increase, however, brings a larger problem. Nigeria is falling far behind its National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020–2025), which aims to achieve 70% penetration by the end of this year.

As of April, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recorded 104.3 million broadband subscriptions. The figure, while looking large, loses its significance when weighed against the country’s actual population and connectivity aim. 

Five years into the Broadband Plan, Nigeria has only gained about 8.3% points in penetration, growing from 39.85% in March 2020 to 48.15% now. 

For a plan that was supposed to boost digital access across the country, the numbers are not so good.

There’s no single cause to blame, but several structural problems are obvious. Top of the list is the cost and politics of Right of Way (RoW). 

States charge exorbitant fees for network operators to lay fibre-optic cables, making expansion financially draining. Only seven states have waived these charges. Others continue to act as roadblocks to progress.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, spoke at a recent telecom forum: “Major obstacles to telecom infrastructure development have been issues within the purview of sub-national governments, including right-of-way issues, multiple taxation, and infrastructure resilience. Reducing right-of-way charges and eliminating multiple taxation will facilitate network expansion and improve connectivity across the country.”

Maida also pointed out that unless states reduce these barriers, they won’t be able to benefit from the economic potential broadband brings. That includes everything from job creation to digital entrepreneurship.

“To fully realise the benefits of digitisation and meet the NBP targets, state governments must ease regulatory burdens and drive policies that are investor-friendly for the telecommunications and ICT sectors,” he added.

The country’s data consumption patterns show an equally complicated state. In January, Nigeria recorded over 1 million terabytes of data use. By February, it dropped to 893,054.80 terabytes. It recovered in March but dipped again in April to 983,283.43 terabytes. That kind of fluctuation shows that many Nigerians are cutting down on data usage.

This reduction in demand is closely linked to price. In January, the Federal Government approved a 50% increase in telecom tariffs. Voice calls jumped from ₦6.40 to ₦9.60 per minute. SMS rose from ₦4 to ₦6. And 1GB of data now costs ₦431.25, up from ₦287.50. This has already derailed the Plan’s goal of achieving an average data price of ₦360 per GB by the end of 2025.

Operators say the hike is good for their revenue, but the many Nigerians, especially those using narrowband connections, appear to have dropped off entirely, leaving high-speed broadband usage mostly to those who can afford Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.

A key component of the NBP was the localisation of smartphone production. The goal was to establish a smartphone assembly plant by 2023 to bring down the cost of basic smartphones to ₦18,000. That plant never came. 

Today, an entry-level smartphone costs over ₦100,000, an amount far out of reach for many Nigerians. With affordability off the table, access remains limited.

Another metric from the Plan was to have 70% of all mobile users on 4G by 2023. As of April 2025, only 49.27% of the 172 million active mobile lines in Nigeria are on 4G.

Put simply, we’re behind on every target.

From where I stand, this is about millions of Nigerians cutting themselves off from the digital economy, not because they don’t want access, but because the system around them hasn’t made it possible. 

Broadband is no longer a luxury. It’s infrastructure, like water, electricity, and roads. But instead of speeding toward universal access, we’re stuck in neutral.

If Nigeria is serious about digital resilience, then both federal and state actors must act like it. Until then, broadband will remain what it is now—limited, expensive, and unevenly distributed.

This promise was one of the highlights of the special media chat with executive editors and media chiefs in the northern part of the country, hosted by the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, to unveil his achievements since the resumption of office till date.

At the occasion, where Danbatta informed the media chiefs that Fifth Generation (5G) services subscriptions have already hit half a million in subscription, the various efforts of the Commission to improve broadband penetration are yielding fruitful results with the current estimates as at July 2023 standing at 47.01 per cent.

Using the extant reviewed five-pillar Strategic Vision Plan as building block, the EVC spoke to 119 milestones achieved under the five strategic pillars, including regulatory excellence, universal broadband, market development, digital economy and strategic collaboration.

Danbatta said through effective implementation of NCC’s mandates under his leadership and cooperation of internal and external stakeholders since 2015, telecommunications industry in Nigeria has achieved remarkable milestones under our leadership.

“While we acknowledge the challenges encountered by the industry, we have also witnessed explosive growth, improved regulatory standards, and digital innovations that have garnered global recognition,” he said.

While reeling out impressive statistics that have characterized his leadership at NCC from 2015 to date, the EVC said active telephone subscribers had increased from less than 150.7 million to 218.9 million, representing a teledensity growth of 115.70 per cent from 107.87 per cent in 2015.

Through stimulating broadband infrastructure across the country, Danbatta said broadband penetration, which stood at 6 per cent in 2015 has increased significantly to 47.01 per cent as of July, 2023, enhancing over 89.73 million subscriptions on 3G, 4G and 5G networks in the country.

Additionally, general Internet subscriptions have reached 159.5 million up from less than 100 million in 2015.

“Also, from 8 per cent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015, telecommunications sector now contributes 16 per cent quarterly to the Nigerian economy as of the second quarter of 2023. besides, following the authorization of more telecommunications companies to operate in the Nigeria’s telecoms sector, the investments profile has increased tremendously from $38 billion in 2015 to $75 billion currently and this keeps growing daily. From the sales of Fifth Generation (5G) C-Band Spectrum, the NCC has generated over $847.8 million for the Federal Government,” he said.

Danbatta, who has received a gallery of awards nationally, regionally and globally in recognition of the outstanding performance of Nigeria’s telecom industry also listed several achievements recorded since 2015.

“Other milestones and initiatives recorded aside the regulatory activities that culminated in the landmark launch of 5G services in Nigeria include the introduction of Spectrum Trading Guidelines, re-farming and re-planning certain spectrum band for efficiency, the emplaced collaborative process for the release of C-Band Spectrum by Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited, and introduction of the Expanded Revenue Assurance Solution (ERAS) to address revenue leakages and improve government revenue from the telecoms industry.

“These initiatives also include Licensing of Satellite Earth Stations, issuing of operating licence to SpaceX Satellite, facilitating the landing of additional submarine Cables, such as the Google 2,000km Equiano subsea Internet cable in 2022, listing of MTN on the Nigerian bourse, licensing of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), introduction of new unlicensed millimeter wave spectrum, and regulation of white space spectrum,” Danbata said.

Also as part of NCC’s commitment under Danbatta’s leadership, the Commission has endowed professorial chairs in Nigerian universities and committed over N500 million naira to Research and Development (R&D) in the telecoms sector.

“The creation of the Digital Economy Department, the mandate to drive the implementation of the indigenous telecoms sector growth through the operation of the Nigeria Office for Developing Indigenous Telecom Sector (NODITS), are also important strides made by the Commission,” he said.

Danbatta said other consumer-focused initiatives of the Commission have also centered on the establishment of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in over 30 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). All these centres are operational, as well as the creation of the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT). The EVC said these two initiatives have been helping consumers to  get succour in times of emergencies as well as ensuring effective protection for telecom consumers while online.

The NCC Chief Executive said the Commission has also taken very clear actions on consumer protection, advocacy, information-sharing and education. “These include introduction of data roll-over just before the expiration of subscribed data plans, introduction of the 622 toll-free number for lodging service-related complaints to the Commission, the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code for tackling the menace of unsolicited text messages,  elimination of forceful/deceitful subscriptions to telecom services on mobile networks, tackling the issue of call masking, ensuring effective Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) registration, launching of National Roaming service and reduction of access gaps to telecom services from over 217 to 97, thereby enhancing access to telecom services by more Nigerians,” Danbatta said.

However, Danbatta said while the industry still faces a number of challenges such as vandalism, securing equitable Right of Way (RoW) from governmental stakeholders, as well as multiple taxation and regulation, the Commission has put framework in place to work with necessary stakeholders to overcome the obstacles possed by these challenges and to sustain the growth trajectory which has been the hallmark of telecoms sector as an enabler of socio-economic development in Nigeria.

Broadband penetration in Nigeria increased to 48.20 per cent in January 2023.

According to available statistics on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) website, this shows a 0.84 increase (48.20%) compared to 47.36% recorded in December 2022.

Meanwhile, in TechEconomy’s February 03, 2023 edition it was reported that Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, through his verified Twitter handle, claimed that with the deployment of Starlink in Nigeria, the West African country has achieved 100 percent broadband penetration (READ HERE).

However, the NCC’s statistics has put to rest arguments over the true state of broadband penetration in Nigeria.

This all-time broadband penetration, industry watchers said, has huge impact on the economy. They believe that increase in broadband connections will even help rave-up the cashless economy policy of the government.

According to The World Bank estimation, a 10 percentage point increase in broadband penetration can lead to a 1.2% jump in real per capita GDP growth in developed economies, and researchers at CESifo put this number between 0.9 and 1.5 percentage points for OECD countries.

According to statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), this is the highest penetration rate for the year so far from 41.61 per cent recorded in January 2022.

TechEconomy’s study of the NCC’s statistics also revealed that this reflects the highest broadband penetration rate in the country since October 2020 which stood at 45.93 per cent.

Broadband or Internet Penetration Rate is calculated based on the percentage of the total population of a given country or region that uses the Internet.

According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) defines an Internet user as someone aged 2 years old and above, who went online in the past 30 days.

Broadband Subscriptions

During the month under review, the broadband subscriptions in Nigeria peaked at 86,949,451.

Internet Subscriber refers to a home, residential multiple dwelling unit or commercial unit that receives internet services over a network(s).

Interestingly, broadband adoption in the household is largely driven by relative advantage such as availability, faster access, utility outcomes, such as the uses of broadband for work purposes, and hedonic outcomes that refers to use of broadband for entertainment purposes, especially among the GenZ.

The main factors for the non-adopters can be attributed to lack of access, high costs and lack of needs.

The gradual adoption of broadband by the consumers is not only an industry concern, but government aim as well hence the Nigeria National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 aims to address this.

This was stated by Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, the General Manager for Fixed Broadband at MTN Nigeria, in a recent interview with Arise TV on broadband connectivity in Africa’s most populous nation.

The Federal Government’s Broadband plan further specified the kind of internet speeds expected for both urban and rural areas; 25mbps and 10mbps respectively.

Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, noted that MTN Group’s Strategic Ambition 2025 is in close alignment with the Federal Government’s broadband targets. According to her, the technology provider’s intent is to deliver the right level of effective digital solutions to power Africa’s growth.

For Nigeria to achieve its goal of a globally recognised digital economy, Ikenna-Emeka, an internet connectivity expert, believes that the nation will require concerted efforts by the Federal Government, public and private stakeholders to boost broadband penetration. Ikenna-Emeka expresses optimism that with existing and new policies, the country is on the right path.

“When we look back at 2012 when we had just about 6 per cent internet penetration to where we are today, there is a significant improvement. As of the end of May this year, we had about 43.6 percent penetration. That is quite encouraging,” she says.

“A lot of work is still being done by the Federal Government and organisations like MTN to achieve the right levels of broadband penetration. The journey has already started and further collaborations will help us to get better.”

To improve internet connectivity in their locality, more than a dozen African countries have tested or are planning to roll out the 5G network in the next few years.

The next-gen network is predicted to contribute an additional $2.2 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2034. MTN, demonstrating its commitment to providing quality internet access to Nigerians, has laid the groundwork to provide the 5G service in several parts of the country in the coming months.

Enunciating MTN’s role as a driver of quality network across the country, Ikenna-Emeka says “Today, what is most prevalent is the fixed wireless access and that is the technology that is being adopted by all operators globally. That’s what we want to scale and accelerate in our drive to achieve broadband penetration.

“We’re very shortly going to launch the 5G technology. There is also a lot of progress we’ve made in fibre optics which is another prevalent technology. This, along with the 3G, 4G, and 5G networks will provide us with the ability to serve more market segments and more different sectors.”

The internet connectivity specialist further expounds that continued acceleration of internet access and the ability to adapt and expand on new technologies will bolster broadband connectivity that would match Nigeria’s growing population.

On the challenges of expanding internet connectivity in unconnected areas in the country, she says “Recently, we have received some legislation from the Federal Government to improve internet access in the rural or less connected states and that is critical in driving broadband penetration and connectivity.”

“One of the ways we are driving that penetration as a telco is by ensuring that we leverage on our mix of technologies. We currently have access to 3G, 4G, and coming soon, the 5G. And we are going to utilise this mix of technologies to deliver fit-for-purpose connectivity in different areas in Nigeria,” she adds.

Recently, international companies like Meta and Starlink have begun to adopt satellites in providing internet connectivity, and Africa has been encouraged to adopt similar technological measures to boost its developing digital landscape.

Ikenna-Emeka expresses belief that it speaks to the need for increased collaboration to drive penetration.

“It is quite interesting and speaks to the localisation of global trends – global digital transformation initiative. It’s a welcome development because to achieve the levels of penetration that we require, both at urban and rural levels, and to ride on the right levels of partnerships and collaborations, we will be requiring a mix of technologies. We look forward to seeing how that plays out in the future,” she says.

MTN Nigeria recently launched its home broadband services tailored to provide fast and reliable internet access in homes across Nigeria.

With the imminent commercial deployment of the 5G network, Nigeria will be hoping to expand its internet penetration and connectivity to achieve its ambition of a near-perfect digital economy in the next three years.