A fundamental shift is occurring in Nigeria’s digital economy as subscribers move away from price-sensitivity toward a demand for “Quality of Experience” (QoE).
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Industry Performance Report for the fourth quarter of 2025, this consumer evolution has propelled monthly data consumption to an unprecedented 1.23 million terabytes.
The Shift to Video and the Creator Economy
The report identifies the “Always-On” subscriber as the new dominant demographic in the Nigerian market. Driven by the explosive growth of the local creator economy and a surge in short-form video consumption, data usage patterns have transformed. Video-centric platforms now account for over 70% of total network traffic during peak hours.
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Unlike previous years where “cheaper per-gigabyte” was the primary driver for subscriber migration, the Q4 2025 data reveals that brand loyalty is now anchored in stability. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing low latency and “buffer-free” streaming over nominal speed peaks. This trend is particularly evident among the youth and professional demographics, who view high-speed connectivity as a critical utility rather than a luxury.
Industry Trends: The Rise of Multi-Homing
A significant industry trend highlighted in the report is the prevalence of “multi-homing.” To mitigate the effects of localized network outages, a vast majority of Nigerian subscribers now maintain active SIM cards from at least two different operators.
This behaviour has forced a change in operator strategy. Rather than competing solely on price wars, Service Providers are now pivoting toward “Network Reliability Marketing.” The NCC notes that operators are investing more in AI-driven network optimisation to predict and fix congestion before the consumer notices a drop in quality.
Predictable Delivery as the New Benchmark
The report also sheds light on how different operators are meeting these consumer demands. While MTN has focused on consistency across both urban and rural settings, T2 has carved out a niche by offering high localized capacity in specific regional markets, recording impressive rural median speeds of 24.9 Mbps. Meanwhile, Airtel and Glo continue to anchor the market by providing predictable, baseline connectivity that remains essential for daily digital commerce.
