Data Consumption Soars in Nigeria, Boosting MTN and Airtel Revenues in Q3 2023

In the third quarter of 2023, data consumption in Nigeria reached new heights, driving substantial revenue growth for two of the country’s leading mobile network operators, MTN and Airtel.

MTN’s Data Revenue Surges by 38.9%

MTN, the largest telecom operator in Nigeria in terms of subscriber numbers, reported a remarkable 38.9% increase in data revenue, earning N279.5 billion between July and September. This significant growth is compared to the N201.1 billion recorded during the same period the previous year. According to MTN’s CEO, Karl Toriola, several factors contributed to this surge in data usage:

• A revamped data bundle offering.
• Increased smartphone penetration.
• Network investments to enhance coverage, capacity, and customer experience.

MTN’s 4G network now covers 80.5% of the population, and data usage per user increased by 29.1% to 8.6GB. Moreover, the number of smartphones on MTN’s network rose by 7.6%, resulting in a 46.3% growth in data traffic, with the 4G network accounting for 83.7% of the total traffic.

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Airtel’s Data Revenue Grows by 29.3%

Airtel Africa’s financial results for the same period revealed that Airtel Nigeria earned N123.7 billion ($157 million) from data subscriptions, representing a 29.3% growth in data revenue. CEO Segun Ogunsanya highlighted the key factors behind this surge:

• Airtel Nigeria’s data customer base increased by 17.4%.
• Data Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) grew by 12.3%.
• Data usage per customer increased by 23.8% to 5.9GB per month.

Airtel’s 4G network rollout played a pivotal role, with nearly 100% of all sites delivering 4G services. In addition, 233 5G sites became operational, contributing to the rise in data consumption.

NCC Reports Data Consumption Surge

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reported that internet users in Nigeria consumed 655,879.86 terabytes of data in August 2023, marking a 6.6% increase compared to the previous month. This data usage surge aligns with the revenue growth reported by MTN and Airtel. Notably, despite a slight decline in internet subscriptions, existing subscribers increased their internet usage in the same month.

The data consumption trends in Nigeria reflect the growing importance of data services, driven by factors such as smartphone adoption and improved network infrastructure. Mobile network operators continue to invest in expanding coverage and enhancing the customer experience to meet the increasing demand for data services in the country.

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