adsNigeria’s two largest telecom operators, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa, have recorded a combined data revenue of N1.53 trillion in their latest financial results, which reveals the growing importance of internet services to their operations amid rising smartphone penetration and increased digital consumption.
Airtel’s data revenue rose to N705 billion in the first three months of 2026, up from N498 billion recorded in the same period of 2025. The growth was driven by rising customer adoption of smartphones and higher data consumption across its network.
The telecom operator disclosed that its data customer base grew by 14.8 percent to 84.2 million users, while smartphone penetration increased by 4.7 percentage points to 49.5 percent.
Average data usage per customer climbed to 8.9 gigabytes per month from 7.0 gigabytes in the corresponding period last year, which reflects the increasing demand for streaming, social media, digital payments, and other internet-based services.
In constant currency terms, Airtel’s mobile services segment grew by 22.6 percent, with data revenue, which is now the largest contributor to the group’s earnings, increasing by 35.2 percent. Airtel Money also maintained strong momentum, growing by 28.4 percent during the period.adsads
