The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says that Nigerians consumed 1.236 million terabytes (1.24 petabytes) of mobile data in November 2025, a slight increase from October’s estimated 1.235 million TB.

NCC, in the November data reports, said ” Data usage climbed progressively from lower levels earlier in the year, around 983,000 TB in April amid post-tariff adjustments, to crossing the 1 million TB threshold by mid-year. June saw 1.044 million TB, July surged to 1.131 million TB (then hailed as a record), and August reached 1.152 million TB,” said the NCC.

According to the records, month-on-month gains averaged 1.8 percent in the second half, driven by recovering subscriptions, expanded 4G coverage, and insatiable appetite for video streaming, social media, and fintech services. This all-time high reflects Nigeria’s deepening digital integration.

MTN and Airtel, controlling over 85 percent of the market, benefited most, with users averaging higher per-subscriber consumption – MTN at around 13 GB monthly and Airtel nearing 10 GB.

The NCC said that seasonal factors, including holiday promotions and increased online activity, likely boosted November’s marginal rise over October.

Broader metrics reinforce the boom: Internet subscriptions hit 144.8 million in November, while broadband penetration reached 50.58 percent (109.7 million high-speed connections), up sharply from 45.61 percent in January. Active telephony lines rebounded to 177.4 million, adding 2.1 million month-on-month, pushing teledensity to 81.8 percent.

File Photo: Aliko Dangote and Farouk Ahmed

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says that Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote must appear personally before the Commission to testify the corruption allegations against the former against the former Chief Executive of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.

The agency said that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, does not allow proxy representation on criminal matters.It gave Dangote December 29 deadline to appear before it.

The anti-graft commission conveyed its decision to Dangote’s lawyer, Dr. Ogwu Onoja (SAN), in a December 24 letter.

Onoja had on December 22, gone to the ICPC office to adopt the petition.But in a letter to Onoja by the Chief of Staff to ICPC Chairman, Rouqayya Ibrahim, the commission said it was necessary for Dangote to come in person.

Photo: Left to Right: Amaka Onaibre – Legal Counsel, Dr Eke Eke – Chief Executive Officer, Tolulope Ogungbade – Business Manager & Chief Operating Officer.

bitMARTe, a new Nigerian-focused e-commerce platform, has officially launched operations, unveiling a suite of innovative features designed to address long-standing challenges facing online shopping and digital commerce across Nigeria and Africa.

Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Officer of SpringRock Group and founder of bitMARTe, Dr. Eke Eke, said that the platform was built with a deep understanding of the peculiar realities of the African market, particularly issues around delivery delays, payment security, product quality and access to business capital.

Beyond online marketplace

Dr. Eke emphasised that bitMARTe is not merely an online marketplace but a technology-driven operating system tailored to manage the infrastructural and logistical challenges unique to the region, while delivering services comparable to global e-commerce standards.

One of the platform’s standout innovations is its same-city, same-day delivery service, aimed at restoring consumer confidence in online shopping.

A gap bitMARTe intends to close.

Dr. Eke noted that delivery delays have historically discouraged Nigerians from relying on e-commerce for urgent purchases, a gap bitMARTe intends to close.

The platform also places strong emphasis on promoting Made-in-Nigeria products, offering buyers access to a wide range of locally produced goods without the restrictions commonly seen on other platforms.

This, according to the founders, will enhance affordability while supporting local manufacturers and merchants

To attract early adopters, bitMARTe has rolled out multiple promotional incentives. The first 5,000 users to register on the platform will receive a ₦1,000 gift card, while users who successfully refer others who make purchases will earn ₦1,000 per referral, with no cap on earnings.

First-time buyers will also enjoy additional rewards, creating multiple earning opportunities for active users.

Payment Safety

Addressing concerns around payment safety, Dr. Eke explained that bitMARTe operates a secure escrow-style payment system, ensuring that funds are only released to merchants after buyers confirm receipt and satisfaction using a unique verification code.

This mechanism, he said, provides strong protection against fraud and misrepresentation.

In addition, bitMARTe has established a robust quality assurance framework to ensure product accuracy and integrity. Items that fail to meet stated standards will be removed from the platform, while goods damaged in transit will be replaced at no cost to the buyer.

The company also pledged to investigate and address the root causes of such incidents to maintain high service standards.

bitMARTe’s customer service architecture

Dr. Eke emphasized that bitMARTe’s customer service architecture is deliberately buyer-centric, with centralized handling of interactions to ensure consistency, professionalism and fairness across the platform.

Beyond buyers, bitMARTe is also positioning itself as a growth partner for merchants.

In response to a question on its merchant financing model, Dr Eke disclosed that the platform plans to offer loans to active merchants after six months of operation, based on transaction history, cash flow and conduct on the platform.

He noted that access to affordable credit remains a major obstacle for Nigerian businesses, adding that bitMARTe’s financing model is designed to provide practical and sustainable loan terms, in contrast to the high interest rates typically charged by commercial banks.

Present at the launch

Also present at the launch were Mrs Tolu Ogungbade, Business Manager and Chief Operating Officer of bitMARTe, and Mrs Amaka Onaibre, Legal Adviser, who both reaffirmed the company’s commitment to transparency, compliance and long-term value creation for users and partners.

With its official launch, bitMARTe is now live and open to users across Nigeria, positioning itself as a technology-enabled commerce platform focused on speed, trust, local content and economic empowerment.