Nigeria's Digital Economy Surges with 162M Data Users

Nigeria's digital economy has significantly advanced, with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reporting 162.6 million data subscriptions as of mid-2026, indicating that approximately 162 million Nigerians have mobile internet access. In the first seven months of 2026, Nigerians consumed 10.2 million terabytes of data, reflecting a shift towards an online economy.

The network responsible for much of this traffic surpassed 100 million subscribers, achieving a record in the company's history on the continent, with data revenue increasing by 38.4% year-on-year. The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) reported that in 2025, total transactions reached N1.07 quadrillion, with mobile money and app-to-app transfers growing rapidly.

The Central Bank of Nigeria's cashless policy indicates that POS transactions now outnumber ATM withdrawals, highlighting the role of POS agents as primary financial access points in underserved communities, including markets and rural areas.