In July, we broke the best mobile data plan, and now, in August, the issue is even more urgent.
MTN users now consume an average of 13.2GB of data per month, while Airtel users have a clock of 9.3GB, both historically high.
So, what is the most cost-effective way to stay in touch this month? We have analyzed the latest products to help you find the best data plan for your budget and browsing habits in August.
Best Mobile Data Plans in August
1. MTN Nigeria:
MTN Daily and Short-term Plans
If you only need a few hours or a day of data, MTN has cheap options:
•75MB-₦75
•110MB – ₦100
•230MB – ₦200
•1GB – ₦500
•2.5GB – ₦750 (only available online)
There are 2 days of plans, such as:
•1.5GB – ₦600
•2.5GB – ₦900
•3.2GB – ₦1,000
These are great if you need internet briefly but don’t want to have a full week.
MTN Weekly Plan
Weekly plans provide you with more balance between price and data. Some of the most popular ones include:
•500MB – ₦500 (usually with free YouTube hours)
•1GB – ₦800
•1.5GB – ₦1,000
•6GB – ₦2,500
•11GB – 3,500
•20GB – 5,000 (only online)
MTN Pulse users can also get 1.2GB of ₦700.
MTN Monthly Plan
If you use the internet every day, it is best to:
•2GB – ₦1,500
•7GB – 3,500
•10GB – ₦4,500
•20GB – ₦7,500
•25GB -₦9,000
•45GB “Always on” – ₦9,000
•100GB – ₦20,000
•250GB – ₦55,000
Most of these plans come with other plans like free YouTube and night browsing.
MTN Annual Plan
For those who like to buy data at one time and forget about it for months, MTN offers a 365-day plan with 800GB of ₦125,000. Decompose to about 0.15 per MB.
2. Nigeria Airtel:
Daily and weekly planning
If you only need to browse or chat within a short time, you can choose:
•75MB-₦75
•100MB – ₦100
•200MB (2 days) – ₦200
•300MB (2 days) – ₦300
For a more consistent browsing within a week, you can choose:
•500MB – ₦500
•1GB – ₦800
•1.5GB – ₦1,000
•3.5GB – ₦1,500
•6GB – ₦2,500
•10GB – 3,000
•18GB – 5,000
Most of these programs include reward data for streaming and social media.
Airtel’s monthly and long-term plans
Monthly bundles are incredible for stable use:
•2GB – ₦1,500
•8GB – 3,000
•13GB – 5,000
•25GB -₦8,000
•60GB – ₦15,000
•100GB – ₦20,000
•210GB – ₦40,000
You will also find the following extension options:
•300GB (90 days) – ₦50,000
•350GB (120 days) – ₦60,000
•685GB (365 days) – ₦100,000
For home routers you get 20,000 (30 days) of 120 GB, but this only works with Airtel’s official 4G router.
What users tell us
We asked users across Nigeria about Airtel’s performance, and the judgments were mixed together. In parts of Lagos and Kaduna, Airtel won the victory for MTN subscribers. “I switched from MTN because I was tired of the signal drop,” said Seyi, a gadget provider in Yikeja. “The 4G from Airtel has always been consistent for me, especially at night.”
But Airtel’s so-called “unlimited” 5G plan is attracting criticism. Tosin, a remote worker in Abuja, said he used 900 gb in a month, but it was not without problems. “It looks infinite, but it is not. After crossing 2GB per day, your speed drops to about 64kbps. I can’t even load Google. ”
Others also had similar frustrations. “They should say 2GB per day,” one user Tell us. “The title of infinite is misleading.”
If you are considering switching to Airtel to 5G, ask detailed questions about what happens when you reach your daily usage threshold.
3..Believe in Nigeria:
Daily and weekly plans
•45MB – ₦50
•105MB – ₦100
•235MB (2 days) – ₦200
These plans usually come with bonus night data (available from 12am to 5am), which is ideal for late-night downloads or streaming.
Weekly plans include:
•1.5GB – ₦500
•3.5GB – ₦1,000 (+2GB night data)
•8.5GB – 2,000
•20.5GB – 5,000
There is also a 1.1GB ₦750 with a validity period of 14 days, suitable for light users.
Monthly and large-scale plans
Glo’s monthly bundle is the most generous:
•2.6GB – ₦1,000
•10GB – ₦2,500
•50GB – 10,000
•107GB – ₦20,000
Looking for more?
•135GB – ₦25,000
•220GB – ₦40,000
•1TB (1 year) – ₦150,000
4.9Mobile:
Daily and weekly plans
•40MB – ₦50
•83MB + 50MB for social interaction – ₦100
•150MB + 100MB night data- ₦150
•250MB – ₦200
Weekly Drafts:
•2GB (14 days) – ₦500
•7GB + 100MB for social – ₦1,500 (This is a good deal for medium users)
Monthly and social bundles
•1GB – ₦1,000
•5GB (night only) – ₦2,000
•27.5GB – ₦18,000
If you are mostly used online for social apps, try using their “social paks” to ₦400/month, designed for chat, video and general social media use.
New smartphone users can also receive 12 months of reward data when purchasing 1,500+ monthly plans.
Mobile Data Plan Comparison (Daily/Weekly/Monthly)
The following table provides a comparative analysis of major mobile network operators, highlighting key metrics such as data volume, price, effectiveness, and effective cost per gigabyte.
Unlimited broadband plan:
If you use a lot of data to work, stream or play, unlimited broadband plans can save you stress. However, not all “unlimited” plans are equal. Some are still hidden in beautiful prints.
1. fiber:
If you need a constant internet, maybe you work from home, stream a lot, or have multiple people using Wi-Fi, then the fiber is the name that will appear. They offer fiber broadband with no data caps, with speeds up to 500 Mbps.
Their plans are designed for homes and small businesses, and many have bundled with additional features like voice and TV options.
What users tell us
In Lagos, Abuja and Harcot Port, we talked with fiber users to understand the authenticity of services beyond the gloss speed claims.
For Ada, a content creator based in Lekki, the experience is seamless. “It’s really going well. I upload videos every week and stream in 4K without buffering. I hardly even noticed that it’s started, it just works,” she said.
But this is not everyone’s reality. Chuka, who lives in Orchid Road in Lagos, describes a frustrating experience: “I paid 13,000 and couldn’t even load the Instagram video. They said it was a temporary issue, but the contact kept falling.”
Abuja-based users responded to concerns. “Fiber used to be great. But what has changed this year. We’re now outages lasting two to three days. Even at work, the speed will drop at night.”
2. MTNFibrex:
If you’re tired of the internet slowing down during peak hours, MTN Fibrex might be worth a look. This is MTN’s fiber broadband service that provides unlimited internet with no throttling or data caps, just a fast, stable internet based on the speed you choose.
Here is the monthly plan (30-day validity):
•50Mbps – ₦25,000
•100Mbps – ₦45,000
•150Mbps – ₦60,000
•300Mbps – ₦100,000
They also have more expansion plans:
•50Mbps – ₦120,000 (180 days)
•50Mbps – ₦240,000 (365 days)
One thing about setting up Fibrex is that the installation and router is free, which reduces your startup costs.
3. Starlink:
Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink has been active in Nigeria since 2023, targeting areas where fiber or reliable mobile networks are hardly available. The service offers coverage, which is insufficient in traditional providers, but costs high: 57,000 per month, and upfront costs for hardware suites are 590,000, which includes satellite disks and routers.
4. Other unlimited internet providers in Nigeria: Spectranet, Smile, Tizeti, etc.
In addition to MTN Fibrex and Starlink, other broadband providers provide “unlimited” internet in Nigeria. But that’s the thing, many of them have fair usage policies (FUP). It is crucial to check out beautiful prints before making payment.
Spectranet
As of early 2025, Spectranet remains the largest ISP in Nigeria, with more than 103,000 users. Their plans are advertised as unlimited, but they have monthly data limits.
•Golden Plan: 125GB FUP – ₦18,999/month
•Platinum Plan: 300GB FUP – Speed drops after hitting the cover
If you move around, Spectranet’s MIFI and automotive Wi-Fi options offer some flexibility.
Smile
Smile’s “Unlimited” plan also has clear data limits under its FUP:
•Unlimitedlite: 60GB/month ₦18,500
•Unlimited: 150GB/month ₦27,700
•Free Plan: Up to 300GB/month – ₦38,500 to ₦46,500
•trueunlimited: 1TB/month ₦61,500
They also offer 1TB annual plan₦185,000.
tizeti (wifi.com.ng)
Tizeti provides unlimited data, no fup, 17,500 per month, but the setup fee is high, ₦100,000. They operate on solar energy and cover places like Lagos and Harcourt.
Other providers offering unlimited plans
The final thought
Everyone wants the internet to be feasible, fast, affordable and reliable. But throughout Nigeria, we learn that there is no single “best” data plan. What works for IFE students is not the same for remote workers in Abuja or for a family of five in Leki.
If you just want to stay in touch day after day, tie you up every day or week from MTN, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile. But if your life or business depends on the Internet, you will need something more stable, like Fibrex, Fiberone, or a reliable home broadband setup in your area.
Don’t be deceived by “infinite” claims. Always ask questions, read beautiful prints, and then talk to real users before submitting.
We will update again next month. Before that, choose Smart, not just cheap.
