2026: Nigerians spend N1.7trn on MTN data in six months

Nigerians spent about ₦1.7 trillion on data services provided by MTN Nigeria in the first half of 2026, underscoring the continued demand for internet services despite the country’s economic challenges.

MTN Nigeria disclosed the figures in its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2026, which were filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Thursday.

The company reported that data revenue reached “₦1.699tn during the six-month period, up from ₦1.229tn recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, representing an increase of about 38.3 per cent.”

Data remained MTN Nigeria’s biggest source of revenue during the period, ahead of voice services, which generated ₦897.14 billion, while SMS services contributed ₦112.68 billion.

Overall, the telecommunications firm recorded total revenue of ₦2.99 trillion, up from ₦2.38 trillion posted in the corresponding period of 2025.

MTN stated that its data revenue includes earnings from mobile data, fixed broadband and data bundles, excluding roaming data, which is accounted for under interconnect and roaming revenue.

The company also generated ₦58.66 billion from digital services, ₦77.06 billion from value-added services, ₦11.03 billion from handset and accessories sales, ₦112.20 billion from interconnect and roaming services, and ₦23.90 billion from other revenue sources.

During the review period, MTN added 4.9 million new subscribers, bringing its total customer base to 92.2 million. Its active data subscriber base also increased by 2.5 million to 55.7 million.

Commenting on the results, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, said the company sustained strong business performance despite the difficult operating environment.

“We delivered a strong first-half performance, with sustained commercial momentum, improved profitability and robust cash generation,” he said, adding that demand for the company’s services remained resilient despite macroeconomic headwinds.

Growth in data revenue also strengthened the company’s overall financial performance.

MTN said its revenue rose by 25.63 per cent year-on-year, while operating profit increased by 50.71 per cent to ₦1.26 trillion.

Profit after tax grew to ₦694.54 billion from ₦351.66 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, while shareholders’ funds rose to ₦957.57 billion from ₦588.44 billion as of December 2025.

The company also generated ₦1.55 trillion in operating cash flows during the six-month period and said it had adequate financial resources to meet its obligations over the next 12 months.