Telecoms contributed 8.3% to Nigeria’s real GDP in 2025

The Nigerian Telecoms Industry contributed 8.3% to Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2025, up 0.2% points from 8.1% in 2024. This is according to the latest NBS GDP report for Q4’25. 

In the entire 2025, telecoms had the biggest contribution in Q2 with 9.2% (N4.7 trillion), followed by an 8.5% (N4.2 trillion) share in Q1. The latest Q4 reports come close at 8.1%, with the lowest contribution in Q3 with 7.7%.

In monetary terms, the industry saw a N18.5 trillion contribution from the N17.2 trillion recorded in the prior period, further reflecting the growing weight of the industry on the Nigerian economy. 

Telecoms, in recent times, have been tagged as one of the fastest-growing industries in Nigeria, reflecting the importance of the sub-sector to economic activities. With offerings such as mobile voice, data services and internet, the industry is a primary driver of economic growth.

Telecoms is also a major boost to the Information and Communication sector, which saw a 10.1% (N22.3 trillion) contribution to Real GDP in 2025. 

Telecoms saw the highest share with 81.5% (N18.5 trillion), followed by Broadcasting with 10.2% (N2.3 trillion), Pictures, Sound and Recording with 6.7% (N1.5 trillion) and Publishing with 1.6% (N36.9 billion). 

The sector’s contribution to Information and Communication was larger in 2024, when it had 82.3%. 

Overall, Nigeria’s real GDP grew 4.07% year-on-year in Q4 2025, up from 3.98%, reflecting a strong performance. For the entire year, Nigeria’s real GDP grew by 3.85%, an 0.31% growth compared to 3.34% in 2024.

Also Read: Nigeria targets better, inclusive internet connectivity with telecoms policy review.

What fueled the 8.3% contribution to GDP

Telecoms’ 8.3% contribution shows the growing momentum of the industry, reflecting how telcos have made a significant resurgence following a turbulent 2024.

The industry witnessed surging demand for mobile data and a rise in active subscriptions. For instance, 148 million Nigerian internet users used about 1.4 million terabytes of data in December 2025, showing an increase in online presence and demand for data. 

In the same light, telecoms subscribers have now reached close to 180 million, following a 14.7 million increase in 2025. Also, broadband penetration passed the halfway mark and ended the year at 51.97% penetration, though still short of the 70% target.

For the industry, the performance shows its growing scale and the increasing demand for infrastructure to meet the numbers. 

Nigerian telecoms witnessed upgrades in equipment in 2025. Major rollouts include the 90,000 km fibre-optic backbone deployment (Project Bridge), the 2,800 towers investment by telcos, and the over $1 billion fund spent on fibre-optic cables and telecom sites, as revealed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Aside from overall infrastructure upgrades, telcos made specific upgrades.

In its latest financial statement, MTN said it more than doubled its investment to N1 trillion in 2025, compared to N443.5 billion in 2024. Globacom deployed new base stations, expanded its backbone and deployed hybrid battery power systems across numerous sites.

Airtel secured a Direct-to-Cell partnership with Starlink and has also confirmed plans to expand its fibre footprint by 25%. In terms of network, the telco more than doubled the number of active 5G sites in 2025.

The year signalled a rebound in earnings for major telcos.

Airtel Nigeria recorded a 52.2% year-on-year surge in revenue to $1.13 billion for the 9 months ending December 2025, powered by its data revenue. Also, MTN Nigeria saw a turnaround from a N400 billion loss in 2024 to a profit after tax of N1.1 trillion.

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