LAGOS, April 29, 2025 — Nigeria has reached a landmark in its digital journey, with domestic internet traffic now surpassing 1 terabit per second (Tbps), a milestone that underscores the country’s rapid internet adoption and growing digital maturity. The development is expected to significantly accelerate the growth of startups and digitally enabled services in fintech, edtech, and telemedicine.

According to Muhammed Rudman, Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), the 1Tbps threshold marks a major leap in the country’s digital economy, enabling faster, cheaper, and more reliable internet services for millions of users.

“This milestone is more than just a number. It symbolises Nigeria’s digital maturity and our united strides towards becoming a tech-driven nation,” Rudman said during a press conference in Lagos.

By keeping a growing share of internet traffic local, IXPN has helped reduce reliance on costly international bandwidth. According to Rudman, this localization strategy improves internet speed, reduces latency, and lowers operational costs for local businesses and startups—critical factors in scaling real-time digital services.

Internet Usage Surges to Record Highs

In addition to the 1Tbps milestone, Nigeria’s internet data consumption also hit a record 1,000,930.6 terabytes (TB) in January 2025, up from 973,455.35 TB in December and 878,953.14 TB in November 2024. These figures reflect not only a surge in individual data usage but also the broader integration of digital tools across sectors.

As of early 2025, an estimated 107 million Nigerians—or about 45.4% of the population—were internet users. Despite this progress, nearly 55% of Nigerians remain offline, highlighting the urgency of bridging the digital divide.

To address this, the federal government is ramping up efforts under initiatives such as the National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria, which targets 70% broadband penetration by the end of 2025, up from 44% in late 2024.

Transformative Implications for Startups

The new 1Tbps capacity translates into tangible benefits for the innovation ecosystem. Startups in fintech, e-learning, and e-health can now leverage reduced latency to offer smoother real-time services. The enhanced bandwidth can simultaneously support over one million video calls, allow 200,000 users to stream HD video without buffering, and transfer digital libraries across thousands of devices within seconds.

“This achievement is a catalyst,” Rudman said. “It enables millions of Nigerians to experience faster services and supports startups to deliver innovation at lower costs.”

Marketing Manager at IXPN, Raphael Iloka, added that the benefits are already trickling down to end-users. “As more content providers, ISPs, banks, and public institutions localize their traffic through the IXP, end users benefit directly. We’re not just routing data; we’re building the foundation for Nigeria’s digital economy.”

Surveys among IXPN’s network partners show a steady increase in local traffic retention. Some members now keep up to 70% of their internet traffic within Nigeria, a clear sign of growing trust and reliance on the country’s domestic infrastructure.

Future-Proofing Nigeria’s Digital Economy

Looking ahead, IXPN noted that achieving 1Tbps is only the beginning. With emerging technologies like AI, IoT, 5G, and immersive media driving exponential data demand, Nigeria’s internet infrastructure must continue to scale to remain competitive on the global stage.

As Nigeria transitions into a digital-first economy, the strengthened internet backbone is expected to support broader national goals—from job creation and youth empowerment to positioning the country as a net exporter of digital talent and services.