9mobile has slashed, merged, and super-charged its data plans for 2025. We unpack every new bundle—from 40 MB “quick fixes” to 600 GB half-year beasts—plus subscription codes, savings hacks, and insider tips to keep you always-on without overspending.
For years, 9mobile (formerly Etisalat Nigeria) has positioned itself as the “quality” network—crisp voice calls, leaner subscriber base, and a reputation for steady 4G speeds even when competitors choke. Yet the brand’s Achilles heel has always been pricing: Nigerians often joked that “9mobile data drains faster than okada fuel.” In response, 9mobile quietly retired a raft of under-performing bundles in April 2025 and rolled out a new, flatter catalog on May 1, 2025.
The update is more than a cosmetic shuffle. Volumes are larger, night allocations are clearer, and social-media bonuses are no longer buried in footnotes. Crucially, cost-per-megabyte has dropped on nearly every tier—sometimes by more than 40 percent—finally making 9mobile competitive against MTN’s Always-On, Airtel’s SmartTRYBE, and Glo’s Always-On Mini.
This guide unpacks the changes, presents the full plan table, and helps you pick the bundle that offers the best mileage for your naira.
What’s New, What’s Gone, What’s Cheaper
|
Change |
Old Reality |
New Reality |
Why It Matters |
|
Simplified Catalog |
30+ overlapping bundles |
19 lean plans |
Easier choice, fewer hidden conditions |
|
Cost-Per-MB Drop |
₦0.45 – ₦1.50 |
₦0.11 – ₦0.33 |
Up to 42 % cheaper on high-volume packs |
|
Night Data Boost |
Only on “Night & Weekend” packs |
Night top-ups baked into mainstream daily/monthly plans |
No extra opt-in; binge Netflix without daytime bleed |
|
Social Media Bonuses |
Scattered promos, expiring weekly |
Permanent 50–100 MB bonuses on select plans |
Free WhatsApp/IG scrolling without core-data depletion |
|
Validity Tweaks |
Odd 2-, 10-, or 15-day bundles |
1-, 3-, 7-, 30-, 90-, 180-day blocks |
Aligns with payday & school-term cycles |
|
Bi-Annual Giants |
Max 120 GB |
600 GB & 165 GB |
SMEs, vloggers, WFH users score multi-month peace of mind |
The 2025 9mobile Data Plan Table
Below is the full catalog exactly as published on May 1, 2025. Prices include VAT; USSD subscription codes follow in the next section.
Daily & 3-Day Bundles
|
Plan Name |
Day Data (MB) |
Night Data (MB) |
Social (MB) |
Total (MB) |
Price (₦) |
Validity |
Cost/MB (₦) |
|
40 MB Daily |
40 |
– |
– |
40 |
50 |
1 day |
1.25 |
|
83 MB + 50 MB Social Daily |
83 |
– |
50 |
133 |
100 |
1 day |
0.75 |
|
150 MB + 100 MB Night Daily |
150 |
100 |
– |
250 |
150 |
1 day |
0.60 |
|
650 MB Daily |
650 |
– |
– |
650 |
200 |
1 day |
0.31 |
|
1 GB + 100 MB Social Daily |
1 024 |
– |
100 |
1 124 |
300 |
1 day |
0.27 |
|
2 GB + 100 MB Social (3 Days) |
2 048 |
– |
100 |
2 148 |
500 |
3 days |
0.23 |
Weekly Bundle
|
Plan Name |
Day Data (MB) |
Night Data (MB) |
Social (MB) |
Total (MB) |
Price (₦) |
Validity |
Cost/MB (₦) |
|
7 GB + 100 MB Social Weekly |
7 168 |
– |
100 |
7 268 |
1 500 |
7 days |
0.21 |
Monthly Bundles (30 Days)
|
Plan |
Day (MB) |
Night (MB) |
Social |
Total |
₦ |
Cost/MB |
|
2 GB + 2.2 GB Night |
2 048 |
2 200 |
– |
4 248 |
1 000 |
0.24 |
|
2.5 GB + 4 GB Night |
2 560 |
4 096 |
– |
6 656 |
1 200 |
0.18 |
|
5.5 GB + 4 GB Night |
5 632 |
4 096 |
– |
9 728 |
2 000 |
0.21 |
|
7 GB + 4 GB Night |
7 168 |
4 096 |
– |
11 264 |
2 500 |
0.22 |
|
12 GB |
12 288 |
– |
– |
12 288 |
3 000 |
0.24 |
|
15 GB + 3.5 GB Night |
15 360 |
3 584 |
– |
18 944 |
4 000 |
0.21 |
|
24 GB |
24 576 |
– |
– |
24 576 |
5 000 |
0.20 |
|
35 GB |
35 840 |
– |
– |
35 840 |
7 000 |
0.20 |
|
50 GB |
51 200 |
– |
– |
51 200 |
10 000 |
0.20 |
Quarterly & Bi-Annual Bundles
|
Plan |
Total Data (MB) |
Price (₦) |
Validity |
Cost/MB (₦) |
Ideal For |
|
75 GB Quarterly |
76 800 |
25 000 |
90 days |
0.33 |
Light-to-medium small businesses |
|
165 GB Bi-Annual |
168 960 |
50 000 |
180 days |
0.30 |
Remote-work couples, surveillance cams |
|
600 GB Bi-Annual |
614 400 |
70 000 |
180 days |
0.11 |
SME offices, YouTube creators, gamers |
Conversion tip: 1 GB = 1 024 MB.
How to Subscribe: Codes & Shortcuts
|
Action |
USSD Code |
What Happens |
|
Buy any data plan |
|
Opens interactive menu of daily → bi-annual bundles |
|
Quick-subscribe to Daily 650 MB |
|
₦200 deducted instantly |
|
Quick-subscribe to Weekly 7 GB |
|
₦1 500 deducted |
|
Quick-subscribe to Monthly 2 GB |
|
₦1 000 deducted |
|
Check data balance |
|
Free pop-up + SMS |
|
Gift data |
|
Example: |
|
Roll over unused data |
Auto if you renew before expiry; otherwise dial |
|
|
Stop auto-renew |
|
Plan ends at normal expiry |
Note: Codes are unchanged in the 2025 revamp, so long-time users needn’t relearn muscle memory.
Plan-Chooser Cheat Sheet
If you scroll on Instagram Reels for an hour a day, you’ll burn roughly 600 MB daily. The Daily 650 MB (₦200) then buys exactly one day of carefree scrolling at ₦0.31/MB—great for pay-as-you-go folks.
But a Weekday office commuter who streams Spotify (96 kbps) for 3 hrs daily and checks email might spend 1.3 GB a week. The Weekly 7 GB (₦1 500) leaves ample cushion for weekend binge-watching while costing just ₦0.21/MB.
A Netflix-at-night couple on 480p (about 700 MB/hour) for 2 hrs nightly, five nights a week, guzzles roughly 28 GB in 30 days. Monthly 35 GB (₦7 000) or 50 GB (₦10 000) fits the bill, each offering parity with MTN’s 40 GB (₦6 000) but historically better 4G consistency in Abuja and Port Harcourt.
For SMEs running Instagram ads and constant WhatsApp Business chats , the 165 GB Bi-Annual (₦50 000) means six months of overhead-free operation at ₦8 333/month—cheaper than buying 24 GB every month for the same period.
Comparing 9mobile to MTN, Airtel, and Glo (May 2025 Snapshot)
|
Network |
Flagship Monthly (≈ 10 GB) |
Price (₦) |
Cost/MB |
Peak 4G DL Speed* |
|
9mobile |
11.26 GB (7 GB + 4 GB Night) |
2 500 |
0.22 |
27 Mbps |
|
MTN |
10 GB |
3 000 |
0.29 |
24 Mbps |
|
Airtel |
11 GB (Mega 10 + 1) |
2 999 |
0.27 |
26 Mbps |
|
Glo |
12 GB Always-On |
2 500 |
0.21 |
16 Mbps |
*Field tests by NCC-accredited Ookla partners, March 2025, Lagos mainland.
Takeaway: 9mobile undercuts MTN and Airtel on cost-per-MB at this range while typically beating Glo in speed. It’s the sweet spot for users who crave both savings and stability.
Night Data: Fine Print & Pro Tips
- Night Window: All night allocations activate from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. They do not kick in earlier, so schedule downloads accordingly.
- Simultaneous Use: Day and night buckets are distinct; spilling daytime Netflix into night hours will not touch your day bundle.
- Tracking: Dial
*228#; the SMS lists Main Bundle and Night Bundle balances separately.
Hack: Tools like NetGuard (Android) or Luna VPN (iOS) can force specific apps—say Steam updates—to run only during night hours, protecting your day quota.
Social Data Explained
- Works exclusively on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, and WhatsApp .
- Doesn’t cover embedded media in browsers (e.g., opening twitter.com in Chrome).
- Once exhausted, these platforms start billing from your main data bucket, so keep an eye.
Tip: Turn on Data Saver inside each app to triple the mileage of a 100 MB social bonus.
How 9mobile Calculates Cost-Per-MB
Cost-per-MB = Bundle Price / Total Volume.
Why the calculator matters: Nigerians often judge bundles merely by headline GB. But a 12 GB pack costing ₦3 000 (₦0.24/MB) might be inferior to a 6 GB + 4 GB night bundle at ₦1 200 (₦0.18/MB) if you habitually browse after midnight. Always match your usage pattern to bundle structure.
Rollover, Renewal, and Data Banker
- Automatic Rollover: Renew any data plan before it expires and unused volume moves to the new cycle.
- Data Banker: Dial
*229*9*9#to stash up to 200 GB for ONE YEAR. Banker stash freezes expiry; you can withdraw anytime in 50 MB slices. - Auto-Renew ON/OFF: Enabled by default. To disable, text
STOPDATAto 229 or use*229*0#.
Coverage Check & 5G Pilot
As of May 2025, 9mobile’s 5G pilot runs only in Lagos Island (Ikoyi-VI axis) with speeds topping 310 Mbps on compatible devices (e.g., Samsung S23 Ultra). Nationwide rollout depends on NCC license fees projected for Q4 2025. So if you’re outside Lagos, factor potential 5G upgrades—but don’t bank on them yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 9mobile throttle heavy users?
Officially, no. In practice, users on the 600 GB plan report intermittent slowdown during peak hours (7 p.m.–10 p.m.), likely cell-site congestion rather than deliberate throttling.
Can I share bi-annual data with family?
Yes. Data-Share lets you add up to four sub-numbers: dial *229*DataSharePIN*Recipient# .
What if I buy two bundles at once?
The one with earlier expiry gets consumed first. So stacking a Daily 650 MB atop a Monthly pack will chew the daily bundle first.
Are social bonuses renewable separately?
No. They renew only when you repurchase the parent plan.
Does night data work on 5G?
Yes. All bundles are technology-agnostic—3G, 4G, 5G.
Conclusion: Is It Time to Switch (Back) to 9mobile?
If you’ve sidelined your 9mobile SIM for the past two years, the 2025 data overhaul is a decent reason to dust it off. Cost-per-MB now rivals Glo’s famed cheapness without the chronic slow-downs, and the simplified catalog means fewer mental cartwheels.
For single-device users, the daily and monthly bundles hit every sweet spot. SMEs and content creators will appreciate the monster bi-annual volumes that slash administrative overhead. And with 5G lurking on the horizon, staking early claim on a 9mobile line could future-proof your connectivity.
Bottom line: the network once mocked as “elite and expensive” has recalibrated for the mass market—without losing its speed advantage. Test-drive a daily bundle; your browser (and your bank account) may just thank you.