Internet Penetration Rate in Nigeria

The Global State of Digital in 2019 report discovered that there are 98.39 million Internet users in the country. Compared to January 2018, there has been a 4 million increase in the number of Internet users.

Of the 98.39 million Nigerian Internet users, 54% access the Internet on a daily basis while only 12% (24 million) have active social media accounts.

Nigeria is one of the most populous countries worldwide. In the most recently measured period, there were almost 50 million mobile internet users in Nigeria, and mobile phone internet usage is particularly popular. The country is considered a mobile-first market where infrastructure and online usage development skipped wide-ranging desktop PC adoption and went straight to mobile internet usage via inexpensive smart phones instead. With almost three quarters of Nigerian web traffic being generated via smartphones, Nigeria ranks at the top of the list of African countries based on the share of traffic via mobile. Other African markets with a similar share of mobile online traffic are the Sudan and Ghana.

Number of internet users in Nigeria from 2017 to 2023(in millions)

Despite this increase, overall Internet penetration remains quite low, with only 50% of the population connected to the Internet, compared to the global average of 57%.

The NCC even embarked on a campaign to increase the number of Nigerians connected to the Internet through the swift approval of broadband Internet licenses.

Global research has shown that very high levels of broadband penetration in both rural and urban areas are an index for global development. Increased growth of a highly skilled workforce, a technologically driven educational system and a business environment that can compete on a global platform, are some of the numerous benefits of broadband.

In addition, research has shown that in developing countries every 10% point increase in broadband penetration accelerates economic growth by 1.38%. This is because of the positive impact of broadband on small businesses through the creation of new businesses and improving accessibility to existing ones.

We sincerely believe that Nigeria can experience tremendous economic growth when broadband Internet access is a top priority for the Federal Government. We propose that the Federal Government have a 10-year plan to properly integrate broadband Internet access as part of its national infrastructure plan.