By Seun Ibiyemi
More than half of Nigeria’s population is now connected to the internet through broadband services, according to the latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The data shows that the country’s broadband penetration has risen to 55.67 per cent, while total active telecommunications subscriptions increased to 188 million, reflecting growing demand for high-speed internet and digital services.
According to the NCC, broadband subscriptions have maintained steady growth, with nearly three million Nigerians migrating to high-speed data services in recent months.
The development pushed broadband penetration from 54.30 per cent recorded in March to 55.67 per cent.
Industry experts attributed the growth to increasing adoption of smartphones, rising demand for data-intensive applications such as video streaming, online gaming, downloads and uploads, as well as continued expansion of high-capacity mobile network infrastructure across the country.
The report also indicates a significant shift away from legacy telecommunications networks, with 4G and 5G technologies now accounting for 58.75 per cent of Nigeria’s total telecommunications ecosystem, highlighting consumers’ growing preference for faster and more reliable connectivity over older 2G and 3G networks.
On internet usage, the NCC data revealed that active internet subscriptions reached 154.7 million nationwide.
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Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) continued to dominate the market with 154.3 million active internet users, while Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services accounted for 220,166 subscribers.
Fixed wired internet services, driven largely by the expansion of fibre-to-the-home networks such as MTN FibreX, recorded 156,662 active connections.
The latest figures underscore the growing role of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.
With broadband connectivity now reaching more than half of the population, analysts believe the country’s digital economy is poised for further expansion, particularly in e-commerce, financial technology, digital entrepreneurship and other technology-driven sectors.
