- March 31, 2021
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Nigerians Used 353,118 Terabytes Of Data In 2021

Reports from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed that Nigerians. as well as foreigners residing in Nigeria in 2021, consumed 353,118.89 terabytes of data. This massive figure represents a “68.2% increase in data consumption” despite an 8% decrease in internet subscriptions compared to the 2020 figures. This figure comes from a new report published by the authority on Subscriber information/network data for 2021.
In December 2020, when the Nigerian commission ordered all GSM operators in Nigeria not to sell or register new SIMs, SIM swaps or engage in any kind of sporting activity., internet subscriptions fell from 154.3 million in December 2020 to 141.9 million in December 2021., which led to The increased volume of data consumption by subscribers, however, these network operators have covered in terms of revenue. This is reflected in the 2021 financial results of two major network operators, MTN and Airtel, which showed an increase in data revenue.
MTN reported a 55% increase to 516 billion yen in data revenue for the year from internet customers. Airtel Nigeria also reported a 41.1% increase to 304 billion yen in data revenue for the year. These two operators attributed this growth to the expansion of 4G across the country, which became the driver of increased data usage by their customers.
According to an NCC report, the total number of subscribers decreased from about 204,601,313 in December 2020 to about 195,463,898 active voice subscriptions in December 2021. The drop in subscribers came as a result of the NCC directive in December 2020 which required all GSM operators to suspend the sale and registration of new SIMs, SIM swaps and all sports activities. The commission’s reason for this was to conduct an audit of all operators to check the quality standards and SIM registration requirements issued by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Commission.
During the same year under study, broadband penetration decreased from 45.02% as of December 2020 to 40.88% as of December 2021. Similarly, broadband subscriptions decreased from 85,941,222 to 78,041,883. According to the NCC, foreign direct investment in the telecom industry reached $417.48 million in 2021. The telephone density in Nigeria decreased from 107.18% as of December 2020 to 102.40% as of December 31, 2021.
Nigerians Used 353,118 Terabytes Of Data
In an interview with Punch about the increase in telecom usage, Adeolu Olu Ogunbanjo, President of the National Telecom Subscribers Association said: “2020 was the real period of COVID-19 and people were trying to graduate online. 2021 was a year full of online activity. Online increase in commercial and economic transactions. All of this was due to communication infrastructure. This was true. With people using their computers online, 2021 saw an increase in online activities,” added Ogunbanjo, “data and call usage increased. May Growth slow in 2022 as 70 million subscribers will not be able to make calls? Maybe data, yes But implementation of the SIM-NIN policy will have its effect.”
The Director of Operations of the Nigerian Telecoms Association, Ajibola Olude, stated that “there are many factors responsible for the increase in the use of telecom services, one of which is that productivity is now being driven by telecom services. If you go into any sector today, its growth and productivity is being service-driven” Telecommunications. This includes banking, insurance and hospitality. Telecommunications have proven their ability to reach all sectors of the economy. This growth is expected to occur in 2022 due to the expected increase in the adoption of telecom services.”
Data users who fall within the demographics of teens and young adults, high school students, college students, graduate students, and high-income families are the most data users. The reason for this is that everyone relies on the use of data to perform both formal and informal functions.
The proportion of Nigerians with high-speed broadband service at home increased rapidly in 2020 as many users considered the internet to be a necessary salvage situation. More young people now depend on the Internet for their daily income.
Another factor contributing to increased data usage among Nigerians is that as more people continue to buy and own data-powered smartphones, computers, tablets and security cameras, sage will be high. Other contributing factors include automatic app syncing and updating to the cloud, video content consumption, music streaming, and movie downloads, to name a few.
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