By Daniel Tyokua
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said Nigeria’s data consumption rose by nearly 47 per cent year-on-year to 1.66 million terabytes in July 2026.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of the inaugural Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum.
Maida said the figure, which increased from 1.13 million terabytes recorded in July 2025, underscored the growing demand for reliable digital connectivity across the country.
He said sustained investment would be required to expand telecommunications networks and improve the quality of services for existing users.
According to him, the increasing use of cloud services and artificial intelligence would further deepen Nigerians’ dependence on reliable connectivity.
He said the NCC had been working to create a more conducive environment for investment in the telecommunications sector, noting that the 2025 tariff adjustment addressed financial pressures on operators and their capacity to invest.
The NCC boss said the tariff adjustment came with an expectation of improved service delivery to consumers.
He also identified President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure as a step towards strengthening protection for critical telecom assets.
Maida said the Commission was also engaging state governments on Right of Way issues to reduce the cost and difficulties associated with network deployment.
He, however, acknowledged that more work was needed to address practical challenges affecting telecommunications infrastructure deployment.
The NCC chief executive said the Commission was making evidence-based decision-making central to its regulatory approach to provide investors with clearer information on investment opportunities and greater confidence in regulatory decisions.
He said the Commission’s collaboration with Swedfund and Ookla was providing independent data on the quality of connectivity experienced by Nigerians.
Maida added that the NCC was combining network performance data with consumer complaints and information on operators’ interventions to identify service gaps and areas requiring further investment.
He said the Commission’s Consumer Data Lab, funded by the Gates Foundation and developed in collaboration with Innovations for Poverty Action, had brought together Ookla data, consumer complaints and operators’ intervention data on a dashboard.
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According to him, the platform enables the Commission to examine service issues by location and demographic group, assess interventions and determine areas requiring further network deployment or upgrades.
Maida said the two-day forum would focus on digital connectivity investment opportunities across Nigeria, including projects requiring commercial investment, shared infrastructure and development finance.
He urged investors and stakeholders to identify viable projects, raise challenges affecting their implementation and develop practical partnerships to move them forward.
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that investments in digital connectivity translated into better opportunities for Nigerians to earn a living, learn and access essential services.
The forum, which is being held in Abuja, was organised in partnership with Swedfund and Ookla as Nigeria marks 25 years of GSM services.
He said, “Keeping pace will require sustained investment, both to expand networks and to improve the experience of people already connected,” Maida said.
