Recent data from the Nigerian Communications Commission shows Nigerians consumed nearly 12 million terabytes of data in the first eight months of 2026. For many, cost still decides how much of the web they can use.

The Connectivity Gap

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the main barrier is no longer network coverage. According to the GSMA’s State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 report, about 66% of the population, roughly 820 million people, live within reach of a mobile broadband network but do not use mobile internet. Affordability is a big part of why, and it starts with the phone. The report names handset cost as the top barrier to getting online across low and middle-income countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, an entry-level internet-enabled handset costs 76% of average monthly income for the poorest 20% of people.

Once people are online, data becomes the next cost. The report finds that for existing users, data affordability is a more pressing concern than the device. In the region, 20 GB of data costs 14% of the average person’s monthly income. For the poorest 20% of people, it costs 44% – almost half of what they earn in a month.

The same is true in Nigeria. In the same report, affordability is the top barrier Nigerian mobile internet users give for not using it more, in both urban and rural areas. BusinessDay reported that the regulator approved tariff increases of up to 50% in January 2025. Its price analysis of the four main operators found the average cost of 1 GB rose by about 65%. 

When cost is the barrier, covering the data removes it.

How Opera Is Helping

Between January and September 2026, Opera provided 5,538 TB of free data to Opera Mini users in Nigeria. Users on our partner networks get up to 1.5 GB of free data every month, delivered as a 50 MB daily allowance.

We cover the cost of that data through partnerships with Nigeria’s leading telecom providers.

Users search, read, browse, explore, and communicate without it affecting their balance. There are no forms, no subscriptions, and no promo codes. You open the browser and go. Every megabyte we cover is data users don’t have to buy, which leaves naira in their pockets for everyday needs.

Over the same period, Opera Mini users in Nigeria generated:

• 30 billion page loads
• 2.9 billion searches
• 378 million news articles reads

Making Data Go Further

Free data goes further because of how Opera Mini delivers it. Our servers compress web pages before sending them to the phone, cutting data use by up to 90%. That means data can go up to 10 times further

Opera Mini is also built for the phones and networks many people have. According to the GSMA, half of mobile internet subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa use a feature phone or a 3G smartphone. Opera Mini installs on handsets with limited storage and runs on slower processors because our servers do much of the work of loading a page. It also stays connected on slow and unstable networks.

What This Makes Possible

5,538 TB of free data is over 5.5 million gigabytes. That is enough for millions of hours of video and billions of page loads, across browsing and social media.

Everyday uses include:

• Education: Students download PDFs and research assignments without watching their prepaid balance.
• Economy: Small business owners reach customers, send emails and manage their online storefronts.
• Entertainment: Fans follow the latest pop culture news, track live sports scores and keep up with the trends they love.
• Community: Families stay in touch through social media and web-based messaging.

What Comes Next

Free data has been part of Opera Mini for many years and 5,538 TB in nine months shows how much people rely on it. We will keep expanding these programs, and we will keep building Opera Mini to fit the networks and budgets of the people who use it.

Our goal: help more people get online, and stay online.

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