Nigeria’s telecommunications industry recorded a sharp expansion in the first half of 2026, with the country adding about 10 million active telecom subscriptions, more than eight million broadband connections, and consuming 8.52 million terabytes (TB) of internet data, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The figures point to more than a rise in subscriber numbers. They show a fundamental change in how Nigerians connect, communicate and participate in the economy, with broadband and data rapidly becoming more important than traditional voice services.
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Total telecom subscriptions increased from 182.23 million in January to 192.23 million in June, representing a gain of approximately 10 million lines in six months. On a year-on-year basis, the June 2026 figure was 20.5 million, or nearly 12 percent, higher than the 171.73 million subscriptions recorded in June 2025.
Teledensity consequently rose from 84.06 percent to 88.67 percent during H1, bringing Nigeria closer to the symbolic 90 percent mark.
