December Data Plan 2026: Glo 10.5GB ₦2,865 vs Weekly Bundles

No network has announced a 2026 festive data promo, so don't count on one. The smart move now is a December data plan that lasts the whole month, such as Glo's monthly AWUF plan at ₦2,865. Save your family's numbers in one note too, and gifting on the day takes seconds.

Will there be a Christmas data bonus in 2026?

Don't build your budget on one. Last December, MTN rewarded people who gifted data to other MTN lines, and it ran a cash draw in its app on top. Here's how last season looked.

A repeat would pay the big gifters. People buying data for themselves got nothing extra, so on Airtel and Glo, plan with normal prices and treat any promo as a bonus.

Expect crowded networks as well. Data use jumped by about 12% from November to December last year, and on Christmas Eve half the town seems to be uploading the same jollof video from the village square.

What to sort out before you travel for Christmas

Get these done in the last week of November, while you still have home Wi-Fi. Start with your balance and expiry date, which these data balance codes for every network will show you. Decide on auto-renewal on purpose, because paying again for a plan you meant to change stings. Then swap daily top-ups for one monthly plan. Daily bundles love to run out halfway through a long road trip, usually far from any recharge card seller.

Two smaller jobs remain. Put each relative's number and network in one note, and keep a second SIM on another network so one bad signal doesn't cut you off.

Download maps, music and films on Wi-Fi before you leave.

How much data does a WhatsApp video call use?

Plan for roughly 300MB an hour on a one-to-one WhatsApp video call. HD and group calls take more. Three family calls of about twenty minutes a day make an hour of calling, and over a two-week holiday that adds up to a little over four gigabytes before you've opened a map or watched a single clip.

Add chats, maps and the odd video. A plan of around ten gigabytes then leaves you sensible room, even on Boxing Day.

Your own figure may differ. After one call, check what WhatsApp took on your phone's data-usage screen, then turn on "Use less data for calls" in WhatsApp's Storage and Data settings.

December data plan prices on MTN, Airtel and Glo

AidaPay prices with cashback for the big holiday bundles and airtime, cheapest gigabyte first. Prices as at 11 November 2026.

Topping up several relatives in one go? You can gift data to several numbers at once.

Here's the catch. The cheapest gigabytes all sit on weekly plans, so a two-week trip on MTN's weekly bundle means buying it twice, and that comes to ₦9,850 before a single gift leaves your phone. If your use looks like the call budget above, one Glo monthly plan covers the same trip for far less. On airtime, Glo pays the highest cashback of the four networks.

How do you send data or airtime to family on Christmas Day?

Ask each person which network they're on first. Ported numbers keep their old prefix, so a number that looks like MTN may now sit on Airtel or Glo.

1. Open the AidaPay app and tap Data on the Home screen.
2. Choose the recipient's network, then pick the plan (the price and validity show before you pay).
3. Enter their number, for example 0803XXXXXXX, and confirm with your PIN.
4. Ask them to check their balance, or open the receipt under Transactions.

Airtime follows the same path from the Airtime tile, or you can send airtime to family online. Through the network's own menu, dial *312# on MTN, Airtel or Glo and pick the gift or share option. That route only reaches lines on the same network. Should MTN launch a new gifting campaign, use the code it gives for that one, since last year's was *321#.

Send gifts in the morning. By Christmas Eve evening everyone is calling, posting and recharging at once, and orders crawl.

If the gift doesn't arrive or the network is jammed

Don't pay twice. Most failures come down to a wrong digit or a busy network.

Data sent to the wrong number belongs to whoever owns that line, and they can use it straight away. Read the number aloud to your relative before you confirm.

When money leaves your wallet but the data doesn't show, wait for the order to say delivered or failed. A failed purchase refunds automatically, and you can requery a pending order or raise a ticket under Transactions.

On a jammed network, move to your second SIM and lean on what you downloaded earlier. For a network fault that won't clear, call that network's customer care first, then the NCC on 622.

Pick your plan this week and save those numbers today. This page is updated when MTN, Airtel and Glo announce their 2026 festive offers.

Frequently asked questions

Published 11 November 2026. Prices and codes change - if you spot one that has moved, tell us and we will fix it.