Aishat Bakare Olajumoke
The global telecommunications landscape is poised for a monumental shift as 5G connections are projected to reach 9 billion by 2030, according to a recent report by 5G Americas and Omdia.
This forecast marks a dramatic increase from the 2.6 billion connections recorded globally by the end of June 2025, reflecting a 37 percent year-on-year surge and underscoring 5G’s rapid ascent as the backbone of next-generation connectivity.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is carving its own path in this global trend, with its 5G subscriber base climbing to 5.7 million in August 2025, as revealed in the latest Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) industry report.
The global projection, which anticipates 5G accounting for 60 percent of all wireless connections by the end of the decade, is fueled by a 15 percent year-on-year rise in cellular data consumption, reaching 384 million terabytes in the second quarter of 2025.
North America leads the charge, boasting 339 million 5G connections and generating 43 million terabytes of traffic, with an average of 111 GB per user per month.
In Nigeria, the 5G growth to 5.7 million connections, up from 5.4 million in July, represents a modest but significant 0.1 percentage point increase to 3.3 percent of the country’s total 171.6 million telecom subscribers.
While Nigeria’s 5G rollout lags behind North America’s near-universal coverage, where 88 percent of the population is already connected and 100 percent is expected by year-end, the country’s progress is notable for an emerging market.
