Telecommunications companies contributed N4.4tn to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in the third quarter of 2025, representing 84.5 per cent of the N5.2tn generated by the wider Information and Communications sector, the National Bureau of Statistics stated in its latest report.
The ICT sector, which also includes broadcasting, sound and media production, and publishing, accounted for 9.1 per cent of real GDP in Q3 2025, down from 11.8 per cent in the previous quarter.
Despite the decline in quarterly share, the sector achieved year-on-year growth of 5.78 per cent, highlighting its sustained contribution to economic expansion.
These figures show that telecom operators, mainly MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom, and T2, are the backbone of the ICT sector.
The broader digital economy, which includes the financial institutions sector, contributed 11.8 per cent of Nigeria’s real GDP, or N6.7tn, to the country’s total N57tn GDP in Q3 2025.
The President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Emoekpere, explained that the sector’s improved numbers reflect greater responsiveness from policymakers.
