By Joke Kujenya
OVER 1.42 million terabytes of data were consumed in March 2026, reflecting rising dependence on digital services and internet connectivity across the country.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said the figure highlighted the rapid expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy and growing internet adoption.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, spoke at the 2026 Workshop for Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications on Thursday in Lagos.
Maida, represented by the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, stated that 1.42 million terabytes recorded in March 2026 marked a rise from 995,000 terabytes consumed in March 2025.
He explained that the volume translates to approximately 45,800 terabytes of data usage daily. He added that this is equivalent to Nigerians watching over 15 million hours of high-definition video every day.
Maida noted that in March 2025, average daily consumption stood at about 32,100 terabytes, equivalent to roughly 10.7 million hours of high-definition video daily.
He said this means Nigerians are now using about 4.6 million more hours of high definition video every day than a year earlier.
He attributed the increase in data consumption to the adoption of digital payments, e commerce platforms, online learning, entertainment streaming, remote work and other internet enabled services.
Maida also linked the growth to improvements in broadband penetration, which rose from 47.7 per cent in 2025 to 54.3 per cent in 2026.
He said telecommunications operators invested over $1 billion in network expansion in 2025, deploying thousands of additional telecom sites nationwide to improve coverage and service quality.
Maida said the figures reflected the role of the telecommunications sector in economic growth, innovation and social inclusion in Nigeria.
He warned that increasing reliance on digital infrastructure also brings challenges, including cybercrime, online fraud, infrastructure vandalism and threats to online safety.
He stressed the need for collaboration among regulators, the judiciary, security agencies and industry players to protect telecommunications infrastructure and sustain the digital transformation agenda.
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