₦airaland Forum

Subscribers on MTN and Airtel networks spent a total of N2.53tn on voice and data services in the first half of 2025, representing a 50.9 per cent increase from the N1.68tn recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

This is according to an analysis of the half-year 2025 results released by both telcos.

The figure reflects rising consumer spending on telecommunications, driven by tariff reviews, increased smartphone penetration and sustained network investment by the two largest mobile network operators in Nigeria.

MTN Nigeria generated N2.12tn in voice and data revenue between January and June 2025, marking a 55.7 per cent increase from the N1.36tn recorded in H1 2024.

The telco’s data revenue surged by 69.2 per cent to N1.23tn, up from N727.33bn in the same period last year.

Voice revenue also grew by 40.3 per cent year-on-year to reach N887.13bn, compared to N632.38bn previously.

The company attributed the performance to robust demand, price adjustments implemented largely in the second quarter, and continued growth in its active data user base.


MTN reported an 11.8 per cent increase in active data subscribers to 51 million, while total mobile subscribers rose by 6.7 per cent to 84.7 million.

Average data consumption per subscriber increased by 26.3 per cent to 13.2 gigabytes, supported by smartphone penetration of 62.6 per cent and a 41.2 per cent rise in data traffic.

The telco also executed a price review across voice and data plans during the period, which boosted service revenue.

The strong topline performance helped MTN swing from a loss of N519.1bn in H1 2024 to a profit after tax of N414.9bn in H1 2025.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation more than doubled, rising by 119.5 per cent to N1.2tn, with the EBITDA margin improving to 50.6 per cent.

The company has since revised its full-year guidance, forecasting service revenue and EBITDA margin growth of at least 50 per cent.

Airtel Nigeria, meanwhile, recorded a total of $298 million in data and voice revenue during the same six-month period.

Using the exchange rate of N1,384/$ adopted by the company, this amounts to N412.43bn—an increase of 30.1 per cent over the N316.94bn reported in H1 2024.

Airtel’s data revenue grew by 40.2 per cent year-on-year, rising from $117 million (N161.93bn) to $164 million (N226.98bn), while voice revenue rose by 19.1 per cent from $112 million (N155.01bn) to $134 million (N185.46bn).

The growth was underpinned by an 11.3 per cent rise in Airtel Nigeria’s data subscriber base to 29.3 million and a 46.8 per cent increase in data average revenue per user.

Data usage per subscriber climbed to 9.3GB monthly, up from 7.3GB in the previous year, while smartphone penetration rose to 51.4 per cent.

The company’s overall customer base grew by 6.3 per cent to 53.6 million by June 2025 in Nigeria.

Airtel Nigeria’s EBITDA rose by 49.9 per cent year-on-year to $185 million, and its EBITDA margin expanded to 55.7 per cent, supported by strong topline performance and the continuation of its cost efficiency strategy.

Although the company was impacted by currency devaluation in the previous year, its financial position improved in 2025, with increased profitability and stronger operating cash flows.

Both MTN and Airtel noted that macroeconomic conditions had become more stable during the first half of the year.

The Central Bank of Nigeria maintained the monetary policy rate at 27.5 per cent, helping to moderate inflation to 22.2 per cent by June 2025.

[b]The naira also held steady around N1,530 to the US dollar, providing a more favourable environment for financial planning and capital investment.[/b]

In his commentary on the H1 result, the CEO of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, said “We maintained strong commercial momentum in H1 2025 through disciplined execution, targeted customer engagement and network investments.

“Our mobile subscribers rose to 84.7 million, with a net addition of 3.8 million in H1; despite the impact of the new SIM registration regulations introduced in Q1. As we increase our effort to add more strategic agents, we anticipate an easing of this headwind as we move forward. Active data users rose by 3.3 million in H1 to approximately 51 million, driving a 41.2 per cent YoY increase in data traffic.

“During the period, we completed the phased implementation of the new price adjustments across voice and data bundles, largely benefiting Q2. Pleasingly, the demand for our services remained resilient, which supported strong service revenue growth in the period.”

MTN said it had launched the first phase of its Dabengwa Tier III Data Centre and was onboarding mobile virtual network operators to its infrastructure, in line with the NCC’s efforts to deepen competition and improve nationwide connectivity.

Toriola noted, “As part of our strategy to expand capacity and meet the growing demand for our services, we launched the first phase of our US$240 million Dabengwa Tier 3 Data Centre in July 2025. This multi-stage data centre project is a world-class facility that will become the largest of its kind in West Africa. It will deliver industry-leading standards of scalability, reliability and security. It will enable businesses to digitise operations, drive innovation and scale efficiently.”

Airtel also highlighted its partnership with SpaceX to deliver Starlink’s high-speed satellite broadband services to remote communities across Africa, including Nigeria.

It noted, “On 5 May 2025, the Company announced an agreement with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet services to its customers in Africa.

“With this collaboration, Airtel Africa will further enhance its next generation satellite connectivity offerings and augment connectivity for enterprises, businesses and socio-economic communities like school, health centres etc in most rural parts of Africa.

“Currently, SpaceX has acquired the necessary licences in nine out of 14 countries within Airtel Africa’s footprint and operating licences for the other five countries are under process.”

The combined N2.53tn spent on telecom services in just six months highlights the critical role played by voice and data connectivity in Nigeria’s economy.

With expanding networks, increasing demand for digital content, and deeper smartphone adoption, telecoms are poised to remain one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country’s post-pandemic recovery.

Source: https://punchng.com/MTN-Airtel-users-spent-N2.5tn-on-calls-data-in-six-months-Report

MTN dey suck data like winch but e dey give u wetin u click unlike the rest

No wonder the telcos are among the richest companies in Nigeria. But then, MTN Nigeria is among the top 10 richest companies in Nigeria by annual revenue, yet MTN South Africa is more than twice richer than MTN Nigeria thanks to our worthless naira.

How will they not make so much money when they rip us off with their exorbitant charges and still extract data from our accounts even when the phone is not used?

Hahaha. Apart from my monthly unlimited sub, I hardly buy data as it's expensive

When I see people, watching videos, streaming event live, my curiosity is, if you are not making money from this, why are you wasting your data?

2.5 trillion Naira. Hmmm! And how much was stolen by the network providers from the subscribers of the 2.5 trillion in six months due to drop calls, poor internet, unused data, and wrong connection to other line instead of the line you called.

They are milking us and paying huge taxes to their Kings men who ought to have defended our rights to better services.

DSTV has been doing anyhow on quarterly basis increasing fee and providing repeated program and the govt folded arms. Nigeria is for the highest bidder.

Not enough original content
Please take a moment to write a quality post with at least 40 characters.
This will make the forum more interesting for everyone.

From that 2.5 trillion....I did data and airtime of about 1.5 trillion... only me ...data almost collect cloth from my neck

Telecommunications companies ought to be paying their staff like those multinationals bcuz they're making a lot.

dollytino4real:
MTN dey suck data like winch but e dey give u wetin u click unlike the rest

Still the most reliable compared to other networks

Abajo, I kept getting messages every 20 mins , yo have used 5gig of data, I shout yaaaay so Tay my wife no fit connect to my wifi o na fight cause na YouTube straight once she connect

Expected.

Drop calls, Weak/Bad Internet Connection all get charged.

And why must Data I subscribed for "Expired" and I need to buy more to use it? I bought it already and in just a Space of Weeks/Days?

I'm part of MTN, I spent almost 50k on data and calls

adenigga:
Source: https://punchng.com/MTN-Airtel-users-spent-N2.5tn-on-calls-data-in-six-months-Report

Communication is essential in today’s digital age, connection is everything.

I pray starlink work on their mobile devices data very fast.

Noted.

Please Observe The 40 characters Rules.
2 more characters needed

Government needs to regulate charges especially by MTN. That company is killing us with charges these days. Their data and call charges are out of this world

Woaw tinubu is really supporting these companies to Milk Nigerians,

Generated from all over Nigerian, but the VAT obviously paid in Lagos.
Some will say Lagos internally generated revenue is so so and so.
Thinking we don't know that the consumption took place all over Nigeria.

Why not do yearly unlimited data of 150k?
By doing that u will save a lot of money and time the only probleming coughing out that money once but u can do it u will enjoy it more.

muyico:
I'm part of MTN, I spent almost 50k on data and calls

Data business is the future and most paying business in the next 20 years. Next is streaming services

Nigerians are very very very hungry, it's visible to the blind how many millions are starving.

36STATES:
Generated from all over Nigerian, but the VAT obviously paid in Lagos.
Some will say Lagos internally generated revenue is so so and so.
Thinking we don't know that the consumption took place all over Nigeria.

When Lagos people tried hard to change this through the tax reform bill, it was strongly opposed by all and sundry. Rest

BTW, companies in Nigeria face problem of multiple taxation. That a company has its headquarters in Lagos doesn't mean it's not taxed in other ways in your barren states. Telecom infrastructure is higher in Lagos State than your state for obvious reasons. Plus, all the tax and IGR generated are still shared by everybody in a way not very favorable to Lagos. Yet, Lagos hardly complains.
VAT is collected on services (e.g., airtime, data) across Nigeria and remitted monthly to FIRS, not to any state. The location of a telecom company’s headquarters does not determine where federal taxes are paid. Payments go to FIRS, and the headquarters’ role is administrative—preparing and filing returns—regardless of its location (Lagos, Abuja, or elsewhere).
Tgere are state-specific Taxes and Levies and even local government taxes like property taxes, tenement rates, Right of Way (RoW) charges, environmental impact assessment fees, and business premises registration fees administered by state governments. Be informed not deformed.
Thank God for the new tax reform implementation to start next year sha.

I'm very sure, I'm not part of those trillions, cos it's been almost 7 months I recharged my line last nor make calls


Wtf man

55 trillion budget and stats say most of the visited sites are por.n sites.

Government should demand they employ Nigerians as directors and also get more tax from them, like 'wellness' tax, the addiction to these data usage online via social media and internet by youths will require rehabilitation.

I alone don spend 600k on my Airtel


Ddhdjdjdjdjddj

Nigerians complain that they don't have money, but they always have money to pay for what they think is important to them.