New data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released on August 31 shows that telecommunications and information services generated ₦5.20 trillion in real GDP during the second quarter of 2026. That represented 9.72% of Nigeria’s total real GDP and 10.38% year-on-year growth. But the bigger picture sits inside the broader Information and Communication sector.
The sector—which includes telecommunications, broadcasting, motion pictures and music production, and publishing—generated about ₦6.28 trillion in real output during the quarter.
Telecommunications alone contributed ₦5.20 trillion of that figure, meaning it accounted for roughly 83 percent of the sector’s entire real economic output.
In simple terms, for every ₦100 generated within Nigeria’s Information and Communication sector in real GDP, about ₦83 came from telecommunications and information services. The remaining ₦17 came from broadcasting, film and music, and publishing combined.
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Telecoms contributed almost five times more than the other sub-sectors combined
The dominance becomes even clearer when the four activities within the sector are placed side by side. According to the NBS figures, broadcasting generated ₦762.29 billion in real output, motion pictures, sound recording and music production contributed ₦305.60 billion, while publishing generated just ₦8.55 billion. Together, those three industries produced about ₦1.08 trillion in real GDP.
Telecommunications and information services, on the other hand, generated ₦5.20 trillion. That means telecoms contributed nearly 4.8 times the combined output of broadcasting, film and music, and publishing during Q2 2026. It also explains why telecommunications has become the biggest activity within Nigeria’s Information and Communication sector rather than simply one of its contributors.
The four activities combined generated approximately ₦6.28 trillion in real output during Q2 2026.
Why telecommunications is growing much faster than Nigeria’s economy
Nigeria’s overall economy expanded by 4.43% in real terms during the second quarter of 2026. Telecommunications and information services grew by 10.38% over the same period—more than twice the pace of the wider economy. The growth reflects how deeply Nigerians now rely on mobile connectivity for everyday activities such as banking, streaming, social media, online learning, ride-hailing, e-commerce and business operations.
The country’s two largest mobile operators, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria, both reported strong performances during the first half of the year, with data becoming their fastest-growing revenue source.
MTN recorded a record ₦1.09 trillion profit before tax, while its active data user base rose to 55.7 million users. The average MTN subscriber consumed 14.8GB of data every month, showing how internet usage continues to increase across the country.
Airtel Nigeria also recorded strong growth, with total revenue reaching $501 million. Data revenue alone rose 59.9% to $263 million, while its data customer base increased to 32.5 million users. Those figures do not directly determine GDP, but they help explain the growing economic activity happening inside the telecommunications industry as millions of Nigerians consume more digital services.
Nigerians are using more data, and operators are investing billions to keep up
Behind the numbers is one major trend: rising internet consumption. In May 2026, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said Nigerians were consuming about 45,800 terabytes of data every single day. That level of usage places enormous pressure on mobile networks and requires operators to continually expand capacity.
Telecommunications companies responded by investing heavily in infrastructure. The NCC said operators invested more than ₦2.5 trillion in network infrastructure during 2025, covering projects such as network expansion, fibre deployment and equipment upgrades needed to support growing demand.
This investment is important because telecommunications is now responsible for almost one-tenth of Nigeria’s entire real GDP. As more people move their financial transactions, communication, entertainment and work online, the quality and reach of telecom infrastructure increasingly affects productivity across other sectors of the economy.
The Q2 GDP report highlights an important shift in Nigeria’s economy. Information and Communication contributed 11.74% of Nigeria’s total real GDP during the quarter, making it one of the country’s fourth largest economic sectors.