Airtel Nigeria, one of the country’s leading telecommunications operators, generated $544 million from data services in the six months ended September 30, 2026, covering the period between April and September.
This was 47% higher than the $370 million generated from voice services during the same period, according to the company’s financial report released on October 30.
The performance came as Airtel Africa Plc, the parent company, reported a 20.5% increase in profit after tax to $452 million for the half year, supported by revenue and operating profit growth across its telecommunications and mobile money businesses.
Data revenue grows faster than voice as consumption rises
The growth in data revenue comes against the backdrop of increasing smartphone adoption and data consumption across Airtel Africa’s markets. The company reported that smartphone penetration increased by 4.8% to 51.6%, while smartphone data usage per customer rose to 13.3GB per month from 10.1GB in the corresponding period of 2025.
Although these are group-wide indicators rather than Nigeria-specific figures, they reflect the broader shift towards greater mobile internet consumption across the company’s operations.
- In Nigeria, this demand was reflected in Airtel’s revenue performance, with data revenue rising by 52.7% from $357 million in the same period last year to $544 million in the period under review. On a constant currency basis, the growth was 33.8%.
The increase meant data contributed a larger share of Airtel Nigeria’s mobile services revenue, outperforming voice services by $174 million during the six-month period.
However, voice services remain a significant source of revenue for the telecommunications operator. Revenue from voice calls increased by 37.8% from $268 million in the corresponding period of 2025 to $370 million in the first half of Airtel’s 2027 financial year. In constant currency terms, voice revenue grew by 20.6%.
The figures indicate that while data is generating more revenue for the operator, demand for traditional voice services remains substantial.
The shift towards data is not limited to Airtel Nigeria, as its industry rival, MTN Nigeria, also reported strong growth in data revenue during the first half of 2026.
- Between January and June 2026, MTN Nigeria generated N1.7 trillion from data services, representing a 38.4% increase from the same period in 2025. The company also disclosed that average data usage per customer rose by 15.2% to 14.8GB per month, reflecting growing demand for mobile internet services.
MTN Nigeria reported profit before tax of N1.09 trillion during the period, while its profit after tax stood at N707.5 billion. Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased to N1.67 trillion.
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Airtel Africa generates $3.8 billion as Nigeria contributes $1 billion
At the group level, Airtel Africa generated $3.82 billion in revenue during the six months ended September 2026, representing a 28.2% increase from the $2.98 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. On a constant currency basis, revenue grew by 20.8%.
Nigeria accounted for $1.014 billion of the group’s revenue, making it one of the largest contributors to Airtel Africa’s overall performance. The Nigerian operation’s revenue increased by 45% from $699 million in the same period last year, or 27% on a constant currency basis.
- The growth in revenue also supported an improvement in operating performance. Airtel Africa’s operating profit increased by 34.2% to $1.29 billion, compared with $959 million in the corresponding period of 2025.
Profit after tax rose by 20.5% to $452 million from $376 million, while earnings per share increased by 23.3% to 10.2 cents.
The company’s underlying EBITDA, a measure of operating profitability, also grew by 32.8% to $1.92 billion, with its margin improving to 50.3% from 48.5% a year earlier.
The results highlight the growing contribution of data services to Airtel Africa’s revenue, with the company’s mobile services data revenue reaching $1.57 billion across its markets during the period, compared with $1.16 billion in the corresponding half of 2025.
