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Nigeria’s Telecom sector shows resilience as GDP contribution rises to 9.1%
Nigeria’s telecom sector keeps showing it’s a powerhouse, with its share of the country’s GDP nudging up to 9.1% in the third quarter of 2025. This is a slight boost from 8.95% in the same part of 2024, according to fresh numbers from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The telecom industry isn’t just a player, it’s leading the charge in the information and communication technology (ICT) space and was a major reason the whole economy grew by nearly 4% during this period.
The strong demand for mobile data and broadband services is driving this growth. Nigeria’s telecom sector GDP contribution rises steadily, and it’s now one of the biggest non-oil contributors to the economy. In fact, the industry accounted for about N4.4 trillion of the real GDP in Q3 2025, making up roughly 84.5% of what the entire ICT sector brought in, which was around N5.2 trillion.
Despite tough economic challenges both inside and outside Nigeria, the telecom sector posted a solid year-on-year growth rate of 5.78% in that quarter. The NBS specifically pointed out telecoms as a crucial pillar in the non-oil sector’s growth, which overall contributed a whopping 96.56% to GDP that quarter.
What’s pushing these good numbers? One big factor is mobile subscriptions, they’re almost hitting 180 million now, which means more and more people are using voice and data services. Telecom companies have also been pumping money into fibre optic networks and rolling out 5G, which helps more people get faster and more reliable internet. This solid connectivity is the backbone for other booming areas like fintech, online shopping, and digital content, making it easier for those industries to thrive.
Even though the growth rate of 5.78% is a bit slower than in the previous quarter, it still shows just how resilient the telecom sector is. Meanwhile, other sectors are helping lift the economy too. Agriculture accounts for just over 31% of GDP, with crop production leading the way at 23.06%. Livestock adds another 6.18%, both proving important to keeping national output and food security in check.
The services sector continues to dominate, making up 53.02% of GDP. Trade contributed 16.42%, signaling strong household spending and retail activity across the country. Real estate also held steady, bringing in 13.36% of GDP output.
The oil sector remains important for government revenue but now stands for just 3.8% of GDP. Oil and gas production climbed to an average of 1.64 million barrels per day, up from 1.47 million last year. However, its real growth of 5.84% is slower than before, highlighting that the oil sector’s share of the economy is shrinking.
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Other contributors to the GDP include the industrial sector, food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing accounted for 3.44%, and construction added 3.03%, thanks to ongoing infrastructure projects and private developments.
Overall, Nigeria’s telecom sector shows resilience as GDP contribution rises, proving it’s a key engine driving economic growth and digital transformation in the country.
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