Nigeria records leap in internet adoption
from OKORO CHINEDU in Lagos, Nigeria
LAGOS – NIGERIA has registered an annual increase of 16 percent in internet subscriptions, sparked by the lockdown against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to the latest data released by the Nigeria Communications Commission, the industry regulator, subscriptions stood at 138,3 million in April.
The figure implies a density of 70 percent in a population estimated at 198 million, the largest in Africa.
This places Nigeria well above the African average of around 16 percent as indicated by McKinsey.
FBN Quest Capital Research noted in April, there were around 2,5 million new internet subscriptions.
“The working-from-home approach due to movement restrictions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge in the usage of mobile internet devices that require SIM cards to function,” FBN Quest Capital Research stated.
The market watcher stated that furthermore, to ensure internet stability, customers purchased separate data packages from different service providers.
In April MTN Nigeria accounted for the largest share (42 percent) of total subscriptions. It recorded a 1,2 percent monthly increase in data subscriptions.
Globacom recorded the highest monthly increase (6,1 percent) in internet subscriptions while 9mobile recorded a decline of 3,9 percent.
Broadband penetration currently stands at 39,6 percent.
FBN Quest Capital Research stated deepening broadband penetration would result in improved internet speed.
“The ongoing global pandemic has led to heavy dependence on internet services, as connectivity is now a core requirement to boost productivity,” it added.
– CAJ News
