By Benson Daniel
Nigeria’s telecommunications and information services sector recorded another strong performance in the second quarter of 2026, expanding by 10.38 per cent year on year and generating ₦5.20 trillion in real economic output.
The latest figures underline the growing importance of digital connectivity to Nigeria’s economy, with the telecoms and information services segment expanding at more than twice the pace of the wider economy, which grew by 4.43 per cent during the quarter.
The sector’s real growth accelerated significantly from the 7.39 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting continued increases in data consumption and demand for digital services.
Its contribution to real Gross Domestic Product also climbed to 9.72 per cent in the second quarter, compared with 9.20 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025.
At the broader Information and Communication sector level, which includes telecommunications and information services, broadcasting, motion pictures, sound recording, music production and publishing, growth stood at 9.62 per cent in real terms.
The wider sector contributed 11.74 per cent to Nigeria’s real GDP during the quarter, compared with 11.18 per cent a year earlier and 11.31 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
The value of the sector becomes even more significant when measured in nominal terms. Information and Communication generated ₦14.64 trillion during the quarter, representing 12.27 per cent of aggregate nominal GDP.
That figure was substantially higher than the ₦10.07 trillion recorded in the second quarter of 2025, translating into nominal growth of 45.32 per cent.
The strong telecoms performance has coincided with improved financial results from the country’s major mobile network operators, as consumers and businesses continue to increase their reliance on data driven services.
MTN Nigeria recorded ₦1.09 trillion in profit before tax in the first half of 2026, representing a 75.4 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier.
The company also reported that average monthly data consumption per subscriber increased by 15.2 per cent to 14.8GB, while its active data user base rose by 9.3 per cent to 55.7 million.
Airtel Nigeria also recorded significant growth, reporting $501 million in revenue during the period. Its data business remained the strongest contributor, with data revenue rising by 59.9 per cent to $263 million.
The growing demand for connectivity is also reflected in national data consumption. Daily data usage in Nigeria reached about 45,800 terabytes in May, highlighting the scale of the country’s expanding digital economy.
Other parts of the Information and Communication sector also recorded growth during the second quarter. Broadcasting expanded by 4.98 per cent, while motion pictures, sound recording and music production grew by 9.15 per cent. Publishing recorded more modest growth of 1.90 per cent.
The continued expansion of telecommunications is becoming increasingly important to Nigeria’s efforts to diversify its economy beyond oil. Mobile networks now support a wide range of activities, including digital payments, financial technology, electronic commerce, remote work, online education and digital entertainment.
For businesses, improved connectivity can reduce transaction costs and widen access to customers and markets. For households, increased access to affordable and reliable digital services is creating new opportunities for communication, commerce and financial transactions.
However, sustaining the sector’s growth will require continued investment in network infrastructure, broadband capacity and other digital infrastructure as demand continues to rise.
The latest performance also highlights the need for policies that encourage further investment while maintaining a business environment capable of supporting the expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy.
With telecommunications continuing to outperform the wider economy, the sector is emerging as one of the strongest engines of Nigeria’s non oil growth and an increasingly important contributor to national economic output.
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