Nigeria’s broadband speed jumps 155% as fibre connections triple

Nigeria’s fixed broadband speed has increased by 155%, giving the country the most consistent improvement in broadband performance among leading West African markets, according to Ookla.

The improvement has coincided with a sharp increase in fibre connections, with Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) subscribers tripling between the end of 2024 and June 2026.

The findings are contained in Ookla’s The Uneven Path to High-Speed Connectivity in West Africa report, which examines how fibre deployment, regulation and infrastructure investment are shaping broadband performance across the region.

What Ookla is saying

Ookla said Nigeria recorded the strongest and most consistent improvement among the four leading West African markets it analysed — Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.

The report said the improvement was reflected in both download and upload speeds.

• “Nigeria’s median fixed broadband download speed (excluding satellite) increased 2.55x from 13.50 Mbps in 2023 to 34.47 Mbps in H1 2026, while its median upload speed rose by nearly the same proportion,” it said.

The increase from 13.50 Mbps to 34.47 Mbps represents a 155% rise in median download speed over the period.

Ookla also said the improvement has been consistent rather than driven by a single period of strong growth.

• “Data from the last two years show that the median download speed consistently rose in every quarter, reflecting a progressive fiber build-out and steady adoption,” it said.

Ookla noted that the improvement coincided with a sharp increase in fibre adoption.

• “This shift coincides with a threefold increase in fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) subscribers between end-2024 and June 2026,” it noted.

The improvement also extended to slower connections, with Nigeria’s P10 download speed rising from 2.24 Mbps to 6.04 Mbps, while P90 speed increased from 74.37 Mbps to 90.04 Mbps over the same period.

Ookla said median upload speed also increased nearly two-and-a-half times, from around 11 Mbps in 2023 to 25.17 Mbps in H1 2026.

Median latency also improved from 47.9 milliseconds in 2023 to 35.8 milliseconds in H1 2026.

Get up to speed

Nigeria’s broadband expansion is entering a new policy phase following the expiration of the National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020–2025, which fell short of its target of achieving 70% broadband penetration by the end of 2025.

• Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that broadband penetration stood at 51.97% at the end of the plan period, leaving the country below its target.
• In April 2026, telecom operators called for a new broadband policy framework, arguing that the next roadmap should place greater emphasis on implementation, infrastructure coordination and policy alignment across different levels of government.

Speaking to Nairametrics, Tony Emoekpere, President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said the country needs a more practical approach to its next broadband strategy.

According to Emoekpere, Nigeria needs “not just another plan, but a more executable and better aligned plan” to drive the next phase of digital infrastructure expansion.

What you should know

Earlier this month, Nairametrics reported that the Federal Government is preparing to roll out major digital infrastructure projects aimed at expanding broadband connectivity across Nigeria.

The projects include a 90,000-kilometre fibre-optic network, 3,700 telecommunications towers to improve coverage in underserved communities, and an alphanumeric postcode system scheduled for launch on October 1.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, disclosed the plans, saying the government had concluded the resource mobilisation and contracting processes required to begin implementation.