MTN Nigeria’s data revenue overtook voice earnings in the first quarter of 2025, rising to N529.4bn, a 51.5 per cent increase from N349.5bn recorded in Q1 2024.
The telecom operator’s voice revenue for the same period stood at N407.4bn, highlighting the growing shift in consumer preference towards internet-based services.
The unaudited results released by the company showed that data now accounts for the largest share of MTN’s service revenue, which reached N1.05trn in Q1, up 40.5 per cent year-on-year. Compared to the previous quarter, data earnings jumped 17 per cent, while voice rose by 15.5 per cent.
Part of the report stated,“Data revenue rose by 51.5 per cent, driven by active user base growth and higher data consumption. This benefited from some further support from the price adjustments and our ongoing network investments to enhance service quality. Data traffic increased by 46.4 per cent, while average usage per subscriber grew by 29.5 per cent to 12.8GB.”
The company added approximately four million smartphones to its network during the quarter, pushing smartphone penetration to 60.7 per cent. It said the growth underscores rising demand for high-speed data services.
MTN’s 4G network coverage expanded to 82.7 per cent of the population, up 0.2 percentage points, while 5G coverage remained stable at 12.7 per cent, as the company prioritised enhancing capacity over expanding coverage.
The operator also maintained its market leadership in the home broadband segment, adding around 233,000 new subscribers in Q1 and bringing its total broadband user base to 3.5 million. The company said it leveraged its 5G fixed wireless access and fibre-to-the-home offerings to deliver reliable connectivity for households and businesses.
“These efforts align with our commitment to expanding broadband access and accelerating digital inclusion across Nigeria,” MTN said.
