MTN and Airtel Are Earning More Per Customer – Here Is Exactly How Much

The 50% tariff hike the NCC approved in early 2025 has done exactly what telecom investors hoped. Both MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria posted sharp jumps in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) last year, and the numbers reveal a clear gap between the two networks.

What MTN Is Earning Per Subscriber

MTN Nigeria’s monthly ARPU rose to N5,184 in 2025, up from N3,542 in 2024. In dollar terms, that is $3.60 per customer per month, compared to $2.17 the previous year. The jump pushed full-year revenue to new heights.

MTN’s total revenue for 2025 hit N5.2 trillion, a 55.1% increase from N3.3 trillion in 2024. Active data subscribers grew 11.6%, smartphone penetration rose by 7.9 percentage points to 66.1%, and average data usage per subscriber climbed 20% to 13.1GB monthly.

MTN also expanded its 4G population coverage by 2.1 percentage points to 84.6%, driven by accelerated network infrastructure investment.

Where Airtel Stands

Airtel Nigeria’s monthly ARPU climbed to N3,326 in its full financial year ending March 31, 2026, up from N2,599 the prior year. In dollar terms, that is $2.40 per customer, versus $1.70 previously. An average Airtel subscriber still spends less per month than an MTN customer, a gap of roughly N1,858.

Airtel’s revenue grew 52.8% to $1.598 billion in reported currency, with data revenue rising 63.6%. Data customers grew 8.1%, while average data usage per customer jumped 30.8% to 11GB monthly from 8.4GB the previous year.

The Two Drivers Behind the Numbers

The revenue surge rests on two forces working together. The NCC approved a 50% tariff adjustment early last year, raising SMS costs from N4 to N6 and increasing the prices of voice calls and data bundles across the industry. That alone would have lifted ARPU. But it was data hunger that amplified the effect.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr Aminu Maida disclosed last week that Nigerians now consume approximately 45,800 terabytes of data every day. Total data consumed in March 2026 reached 1.42 million terabytes, up from 995,000 terabytes in the same period in 2025.

The Network Quality Problem

Higher ARPU comes with a cost that subscribers are already feeling. The surge in data usage is straining telecom networks, driving the poor service quality many subscribers have experienced recently. The NCC says operators are responding by committing to upgrading 12,000 sites in 2026 to improve capacity nationwide. The regulator has also directed telcos to compensate subscribers in areas where network quality falls below prescribed standards.

Expert View

The ARPU gap between MTN and Airtel reflects more than just pricing. MTN’s higher smartphone penetration and faster 4G rollout create a compounding advantage: better infrastructure attracts higher-value subscribers, who, in turn, spend more on data-intensive services. Until Airtel closes that infrastructure gap, the revenue differential will likely widen rather than narrow, regardless of whether both networks charge similar tariffs.

FAQs

What is ARPU? ARPU stands for Average Revenue Per User. It measures how much a telecom operator earns per subscriber per month from voice, SMS, and data services. It is one of the most closely watched metrics in the industry.

How much does MTN earn per customer monthly? MTN Nigeria earned an average of N5,184 per subscriber per month in 2025, equivalent to approximately $3.60.

How much does Airtel earn per customer monthly? Airtel Nigeria earned an average of N3,326 per subscriber per month in the financial year ending March 2026, equivalent to approximately $2.40.

Why did ARPU rise so sharply in 2025? Two factors combined: the NCC’s 50% tariff adjustment approved in early 2025, and a rapid rise in data consumption among Nigerian subscribers. Both pushed customer spending higher simultaneously.

What is the NCC doing about poor network quality? The NCC has secured commitments from operators to upgrade 12,000 network sites in 2026. It has also directed telcos to compensate subscribers in areas where service quality falls below the regulator’s minimum standards.

How much data do Nigerians consume daily? The NCC reported that Nigerians consume approximately 45,800 terabytes of data per day, with total consumption in March 2026 reaching 1.42 million terabytes.