Nigeria’s data demand outpacing network growth — NCC

…Says mobile broadband covers 90% of Nigerians, only 27% own smartphones
…Seeks long-term naira funding for telecoms infrastructure

By Juliet Umeh

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has warned that rising data demand is putting pressure on Nigeria’s networks and called for greater investment in digital infrastructure.
In a communiqué issued on Sunday after the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum in Abuja, the NCC and other participants said: “Demand is outgrowing the networks: Nigeria consumed about 1.6 million terabytes of data in July 2026, an increase of almost 47 percent in 12 months.”
They added that “subscriptions are projected to grow from about 195 million towards 350 million within 10 to 15 years,” while cloud computing and artificial intelligence would place further demand on networks, data centres and power.
The forum, convened by the NCC in partnership with Swedfund and Ookla, also drew attention to the gap between the availability of mobile broadband and the number of Nigerians using it.
The communiqué stated: “Usage, rather than coverage, is now the larger gap. Mobile broadband covers about 90% of Nigerians, yet smartphone ownership stands at about 27 percent and broadband penetration at 57.4 percent against a 70 percent target.
“Device affordability, digital skills and trust are the binding constraints, and coverage investment alone cannot close them.”
Participants urged operators and infrastructure companies to “pair every coverage investment with measures that put affordable devices in users’ hands, including locally manufactured devices and SIMs.”
On financing, the communiqué said: “Digital infrastructure has an asset life of 20 to 30 years and cannot be financed on five-year bank tenors.”
It urged investors and development finance institutions to “match long-life assets with long-tenor naira capital” and tie infrastructure funding to independently verified network performance.
The participants also identified power supply and inland connectivity as major barriers to expansion. “Energy and connectivity investment should be planned together, with tower clusters recognised as anchor off takers for distributed generation,” they said.
They called on the Federal Government to accelerate Project BRIDGE, the proposed 90,000-kilometre national fibre backbone, as a response to the gap in connectivity between major networks and local access points.
State governments were urged to “cut and harmonise Right of Way and site permit charges” and shorten approval times. According to the communiqué, 12 states now charge zero Right of Way fees, up from seven in December 2024.
The NCC said it would continue engaging stakeholders on the investment and deployment actions agreed at the forum.