Nigeria Records Major Increase In Internet Uptake
TECH DIGEST – Internet subscriptions in Nigeria, Africa’s largest country by economy and population, have grown by 13 percent over the past twelve months to 148.1 million.
The figure, from February 2020 to February 2021, implies density of 75 percent in a population officially put at 198 million.
This places Nigeria well above the African average of around 16 percent, as indicated by McKinsey.
The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) data show that in February, MTN Nigeria (MTNN) accounted for the largest share (42 percent) of total subscriptions.
That however was 1.8 percent monthly decrease in internet subscriptions.
Airtel and 9mobile also recorded monthly decreases of 2.7 percent and 3.6 percent respectively.
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Broadband penetration meanwhile currently stands at 42.1 percent.
The government is targeting 76 percent this year.
The national broadband plan seeks to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria at a minimum of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas with effective coverage available to at least 90 percent of the population by 2025 at a maximum price of N390 ($US0,95) per 1GB of data.
“These targets seem ambitious. However, they can be achieved with well targeted investments into the sector,” FBNQuest, the market watcher, stated.
According to the latest national accounts, telecommunications posted double digit growth of 15.9 percent yearly in 2020.
The segment was already expanding rapidly and has been further boosted by the prevalence of working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
