Nigeria Achieves Historic 1 Terabit Internet Traffic Milestone
Landmark Achievement Signals Accelerating Digital Transformation
Nigeria has reached a historic digital milestone by recording peak Internet traffic of 1 terabit per second (1Tbps) for the first time. This landmark achievement underscores the country’s rapid digital transformation and growing technological infrastructure.
Steady Growth in Internet Traffic
Nigeria’s journey to 1Tbps has been gradual but consistent. From modest speeds of 5-10 megabits per second in 2008, traffic surged to 126 gigabits by 2019, then 250Gbps in 2020, reaching 900Gbps by late 2024. The nation finally surpassed the 1Tbps threshold in March 2025.
This growth has been fueled by several key factors:
- Proliferation of local data centers
- Increased interconnectivity among providers
- Presence of major global content platforms
Leading tech giants including Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, and TikTok are now connected to Nigeria’s Internet Exchange Point (IXPN).
Significance of the Milestone
IXPN CEO Muhammed Rudman announced this achievement during a media briefing in Lagos, describing it as a major leap forward for Nigeria’s internet infrastructure.
“This milestone is more than just a number. It is a symbol of Nigeria’s digital maturity and our united strides towards becoming a tech-driven nation,” Rudman stated.
The achievement brings tangible benefits to Nigeria’s digital economy:
- Reduced internet costs for users
- Improved connection speeds
- Enhanced digital service reliability
Economic Impact and Future Potential
The Internet Society (ISOC) reports that Nigeria now saves at least $40 million annually by domesticating internet traffic rather than relying on expensive international bandwidth.
Rudman highlighted the potential applications of this bandwidth:
- Supporting over 1 million concurrent Zoom calls
- Enabling 200,000+ simultaneous HD video streams
- Transferring data equivalent to 50,000 smartphones in one second
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite this achievement, Rudman noted significant infrastructure gaps:
- Nigeria has only 257 Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) compared to Brazil’s 10,000
- 99% of internet access remains mobile-based
- Many areas still rely on outdated 2G/3G networks
The IXPN CEO called for increased investment in community networks and regulatory support for local ISPs to sustain this growth trajectory.
Looking Ahead
Rudman emphasized that 1Tbps is just the beginning. IXPN plans to:
- Scale infrastructure for emerging technologies like AI and 5G
- Expand rural connectivity
- Strengthen Africa’s digital sovereignty
The exchange acknowledged support from key stakeholders including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and global partners in making this achievement possible.
For more details, read the original article on Leadership News.