LAGOS, November 2, 2026 — MTN Nigeria recorded a 35.8 per cent increase in data revenue to N2.68tn in the first nine months of 2026, as rising internet consumption and an expanding subscriber base strengthened earnings at the country’s largest mobile telecommunications operator.
The company said network data traffic increased 30.1 per cent during the nine months ended September 30, reflecting stronger demand for mobile internet, digital services and home broadband connectivity.
Active data subscribers rose 12 per cent to 57.2mn from 51.1mn a year earlier, while average monthly consumption per user increased 16.2 per cent to 15.3 gigabytes.
The growth made data services MTN Nigeria’s largest revenue contributor, highlighting the increasing importance of internet connectivity to the company’s business as consumers and enterprises expand their use of digital platforms.
Total mobile subscribers increased 10.9 per cent to 94.7mn, compared with 85.4mn in September 2025, according to the company’s unaudited financial results.
The expansion in data usage contributed to a 23.7 per cent increase in service revenue to N4.59tn, while profit after tax climbed 55.3 per cent to N1.17tn.
The results underline the growing contribution of mobile data to Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, where operators are investing heavily in network capacity to accommodate increased demand for streaming, digital payments, online commerce and other internet-based services.
MTN attributed its performance to higher customer usage, broader adoption of data services and rising demand for home broadband connections.
Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria’s chief executive, said the growth reflected stronger consumption across the company’s network, supported by continued investment in coverage, capacity and service quality.
He said MTN remained focused on sustaining growth, improving customer experience and expanding its home broadband business.
The company increased capital expenditure, excluding leases, by 14.2 per cent to N864.8bn during the nine-month period as it accelerated network expansion and infrastructure upgrades.
Investment intensified in the third quarter, rising 69.1 per cent year on year to N243.9bn.
The spending was directed towards expanding network coverage, increasing capacity and improving service reliability as data consumption continued to rise.
MTN’s broadband business also recorded growth, with subscribers increasing to 2.21mn at the end of September from 1.89mn at the end of June.
The increase of approximately 320,000 subscribers over three months reflects growing demand for fixed and home internet connectivity.
The company’s fibre-to-the-home service accounted for about 13 per cent of total data traffic, helping to shift some demand away from its mobile network and improve overall network efficiency.
The expansion of fixed broadband is becoming increasingly important as telecommunications operators seek to manage rising mobile data consumption while providing higher-capacity connections to households and businesses.
MTN reported smartphone penetration of 66 per cent across its network, indicating that approximately two-thirds of its subscribers use devices capable of accessing more advanced mobile internet services.
Its fifth-generation mobile network coverage also expanded, reaching 13.19 per cent of the population compared with 12.08 per cent in 2025.
Although 5G coverage continues to increase, its relatively limited reach highlights the investment still required to extend high-speed connectivity across Nigeria.
The country’s telecommunications operators face the challenge of expanding infrastructure while managing rising demand, network maintenance requirements and the costs associated with deploying new technologies.
MTN’s latest disclosures also showed that service reliability remains a concern despite substantial investment.
The company recorded five major information technology and network disruptions during the third quarter, resulting in a combined 12 hours and 53 minutes of customer downtime across incidents classified as severity one and severity two.
Overall network availability stood at 99.19 per cent.
The disruptions illustrate the operational pressures facing telecommunications providers as they expand networks to accommodate increasing traffic volumes.
For MTN, maintaining service quality will be important to retaining customers and supporting further growth in data consumption, particularly as broadband services account for a larger share of revenue.
The company’s financial performance reflects the benefits of expanding data usage across an established subscriber base.
While active data users increased 12 per cent, average monthly consumption per user grew at a faster rate, indicating that revenue growth is being supported by both customer acquisition and more intensive use of existing connections.
The 35.8 per cent rise in data revenue also exceeded the 30.1 per cent increase in network traffic, although the company did not provide sufficient detail in the disclosed figures to isolate the effects of pricing, customer mix and other factors.
The increase in profitability comes alongside substantial capital investment, underscoring the importance of balancing infrastructure expansion with returns to shareholders.
With capital expenditure reaching N864.8bn over nine months, MTN is committing significant resources to meeting future demand for mobile and fixed broadband services.
The company’s ability to sustain earnings growth will depend partly on whether continued investment translates into higher network capacity, improved reliability and additional paying subscribers.
Nigeria’s large population and increasing use of digital services provide opportunities for telecommunications operators, but maintaining service quality and expanding coverage remain central challenges.
MTN’s results suggest that data consumption is becoming an increasingly important driver of its financial performance, supported by smartphone adoption, home broadband expansion and investment in network infrastructure.
The company enters the final quarter of 2026 with a larger subscriber base, higher data revenue and stronger profitability, while continuing to invest in the capacity needed to support Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
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