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Nigeria’s Internet Penetration Surpasses 50% Amidst Broadband Expansion Challenges
As of November 2025, Nigeria’s internet penetration rate reached 50.58%, marking a significant milestone in the country’s digital journey, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) latest statistics. This progress, while notable, still falls short of the ambitious 70% broadband penetration goal outlined in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020-2025, which is set to conclude at the end of this year.
Year-on-Year Growth and Current Broadband Landscape
The internet penetration rate has climbed from 45.61% in January 2025, reflecting an approximate 5 percentage point increase over the past eleven months. Despite this upward trend, broadband subscriptions in Nigeria totaled around 109 million by November, indicating a mixed pace of adoption across different regions.
National Broadband Plan: Ambitious Targets and Realities
The NBP set forth comprehensive objectives aimed at fostering digital inclusion nationwide. These include extending broadband coverage to at least 90% of Nigerians, ensuring minimum download speeds of 25 Mbps in urban centers and 10 Mbps in rural areas, and maintaining affordable data pricing capped at ₦390 per 1GB-roughly 2% of the median income or 1% of the minimum wage. However, as the plan nears its expiration, the broadband ecosystem has yet to fully meet these benchmarks.
Obstacles Hindering Broadband Expansion
Several persistent challenges have impeded Nigeria’s broadband growth. The country experiences frequent fibre optic cable disruptions, with vandalism causing between 30 to 43 cuts daily, severely affecting network reliability. Additionally, high Right-of-Way (RoW) fees, which operators must pay to deploy infrastructure, alongside multiple regulatory levies and escalating energy costs for maintaining base stations-especially in rural areas-have increased operational expenses. These factors, combined with a decline of over one million broadband subscribers in early 2025, underscore the structural and regulatory hurdles facing the sector.
Drivers of Broadband Adoption
Despite these setbacks, broadband penetration has been buoyed by several positive developments. The expansion of mobile networks, particularly 3G and 4G technologies, has been the primary catalyst for increased internet access, with nascent 5G deployments beginning to enhance capacity in metropolitan areas. The reduction in smartphone prices and the availability of competitive data plans have also made mobile internet more accessible to a broader segment of the population. Furthermore, government policies like the NBP and investments in the National Communications Backbone have encouraged private sector involvement, especially in underserved rural communities.
Infrastructure Gaps and Future Outlook
One of the main reasons for the shortfall in meeting the NBP’s targets is the slow pace of infrastructure development beyond Nigeria’s major cities. Fibre optic networks and last-mile connectivity solutions have not expanded sufficiently to cover remote and rural populations, leaving many without reliable internet access. Additionally, some existing network infrastructure remains underutilized due to these coverage gaps.
Looking ahead, the NCC remains committed to achieving the 70% broadband penetration goal. Continued investments in mobile broadband infrastructure, increasing smartphone penetration, and the ongoing rollout of 4G/LTE networks are expected to sustain gradual growth in internet access. While the original 2025 target may not be fully realized, the sector’s trajectory suggests steady progress toward a more connected Nigeria.
