By Chioma Obinagwam
There has been a significant change in the telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria in the last two decades.
Confiance News learnt that this change has seen a tremendous increase in the use of data. This is because data is used to facilitate a lot of services; from banking transactions, to sourcing data, to watching movies, among other digital activities. In fact, data is gradually becoming the latest currency.
Reacting to the importance of data, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), delivering a speech at the 93rd edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP) highlighted the importance of data. He said: “Over the past two decades, the telecommunications landscape in Nigeria has transformed from basic voice services to high-speed data that connects, informs, and powers innovations.”
Globally, DataReportal notes there are now over 5 billion internet users, with Nigeria alone accounting for 132 million connections. Nigerians spend an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes on social media daily, far above the global average, underscoring how deeply embedded digital interaction is in our lives. In 2024, Nigeria’s daily data usage averaged 336 gigabytes per second, marking a 39% increase from the previous year—a clear indication of the data-driven lifestyle many Nigerians lead.
More so, most consumers are oblivious of data tracking features in their devices that can aid data saving.
For example, the CEO said, many smartphone users may not know that their devices can track data usage and allow them to set limits on the amount of data they want to use.
Confiance News has curated easy tips to save your data;
Monitor Data Usage: Regularly check data consumption using built-in phone trackers or third-party apps.
Use Wi-Fi: Connect to Wi-Fi whenever available to minimize cellular data usage.
Turn Off Automatic Updates: Disable automatic app and system updates, opting to update manually over Wi-Fi.
Restrict Background Data: Limit background data for apps that consume data when not in use.
Disable Location Services: Turn off GPS and location services for apps that don’t require them.
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