Nigeria’s broadband penetration crossed the 50% mark for the first time in November 2025, signaling improvement in access to fast internet in the country.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed this in the latest telecom industry data just released.
This, however, means that Nigeria has missed the 70% broadband penetration target set in the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020-2025), which lapses this December.
What the data is saying
According to the NCC data, there were a total of 109.6 million broadband connections in Nigeria as of November.
This put the country’s broadband penetration at 50.58%, a 0.69% increase from the 49.89% recorded in October.
So far this year, the data shows that the country has grown broadband penetration by 6.15% only, as the penetration level stood at 44.43% at the end of 2024.
- Meanwhile, total internet subscriptions in the country, comprising 3G, 4G, and 5G connections, stood at 144.7 million in November, up from 142.6 million recorded in October.
- MTN remains the largest player in the market with 78.8 million internet subscriptions, followed by Airtel, which recorded 50.3 million active internet connections.
- Globacom’s internet subscriptions stood at 14.2 million, while T2, formerly 9mobile, recorded only 771,035 internet connections.
- Internet connections across ISPs, fixed wired, and VoIP providers stood at 635,626.
Why Nigeria’s broadband target failed
With the 70% broadband target now missed, industry stakeholders have blamed the development on several factors.
According to the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, the implementation of the broadband Plan has not been able to progress as it should because several challenges identified in the Plan have not been addressed.
- He cited the issues of multiple taxation and high costs of the right-of-way as impediments to the deployment of infrastructure by the telecom operators.
- Adebayo added that some states, despite officially waiving right-of-way fees, impose hidden costs such as education taxes and highway levies, which discourage investment.
- While the Plan envisaged that Nigeria would need between $3.5 and $5 billion in investment over five years to achieve full implementation, data indicated that foreign investments in the country’s telecoms sector have declined.
Other missed targets
Aside from the overall 70% penetration target, the Broadband Plan also set several targets for the country, most of which have been missed.
Going by the timelines of the Plan, broadband penetration in the country is expected to be at 50% at the end of 2023. That was just achieved at the end of 2025.
Recognizing the high cost of smartphones as one of the access barriers to broadband in the country, the Plan developed by key experts in the ICT industry appointed by the government, recommends that the country should have at least one smartphone assembly plant by 2023.
- This was to ensure the price of an entry-level smartphone in the country could be as low as N18,000.
- However, the country currently has no local smartphone assembly plant, while costs of smartphones in the country have skyrocketed as a result of the Naira devaluation. The cheapest smartphone in the market currently sells for more than N100,000.
- According to the Plan, part of the milestones to measure progress include that 70% of telecom subscriptions should be on 4G by 2023.
- However, NCC’s data shows that only 51.99% of the 177 million active mobile subscriptions in the country were on 4G as of November 2025.
What policy change do you think would have had the biggest impact if implemented earlier right-of-way reforms or device affordability initiatives?