Nigeria Achieves Historic 1 Terabit Internet Traffic Milestone

Landmark Achievement Signals Accelerating Digital Transformation

Nigeria has reached a historic digital milestone, recording a peak Internet traffic of 1 terabit per second (1Tbps) for the first time. This landmark achievement highlights the country’s accelerating digital transformation and growing internet infrastructure.

Video credit to: Digivation Network TV

Steady Growth Over the Years

Nigeria’s journey to 1Tbps has been gradual but consistent. From a modest 5 to 10 megabits per second in 2008, traffic surged to 126 gigabits by 2019, then 250Gbps in 2020, and 900Gbps by late 2024. The 1Tbps threshold was finally surpassed in March 2025.

This growth has been driven by the proliferation of local data centers, increasing interconnectivity, and the presence of major global content providers such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, and TikTok, all now connected to the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN).

A Major Leap for Nigeria’s Digital Economy

Muhammed Rudman, CEO of IXPN, disclosed this milestone during a media chat in Lagos, emphasizing its significance for Nigeria’s digital future. He stated that this achievement reflects the country’s digital maturity and commitment to becoming a tech-driven nation.

“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. By keeping local internet traffic within Nigeria, we reduce costs, improve speeds, and ensure our digital economy thrives with homegrown infrastructure.”

— Muhammed Rudman, CEO of IXPN

Real-World Impact of 1Tbps

To put this achievement into perspective:

• 1 Tbps can support over 1 million concurrent Zoom calls.
• More than 200,000 people can stream HD content simultaneously without buffering.
• The entire contents of 50,000 smartphones can be transferred in just one second.

Economic Benefits and Challenges

The Internet Society (ISOC) revealed that Nigeria now saves at least $40 million annually by domesticating internet traffic, reducing reliance on expensive international bandwidth.

However, Rudman highlighted ongoing challenges, including Nigeria’s underdeveloped internet infrastructure. With a population comparable to Brazil, Nigeria has only 257 autonomous system numbers (ASNs), far fewer than Brazil’s 10,000 and South Africa’s 770.

He also noted that 99% of internet access in Nigeria is mobile-based, with many areas still relying on outdated 2G or 3G networks.

Future Plans and Regional Leadership

Rudman envisions Nigeria becoming a regional digital hub, similar to South Africa’s role in Southern Africa. He called for:

• Investment in community networks.
• Regulatory incentives to support local ISPs.
• Expansion of rural internet access.

He emphasized that reaching 1Tbps is just the beginning, as demand for data-intensive technologies like AI, IoT, and 5G continues to grow.

Acknowledgments and Call for Collaboration

Rudman extended gratitude to stakeholders, including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), engineers, and global partners. He urged further collaboration among regulators, stakeholders, and the media to strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Surveys among IXPN members show that some connected entities now localize up to 70% of their internet traffic, directly benefiting end users.

For more details, read the original article.