60% of Nigerian 4G Users Don’t Access Mobile Internet

According to research by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), 60% of Nigerians do not use mobile internet, even if they have access to 4G service.

These issues were discussed and addressed in an interactive webinar hosted by GSMA over the weekend by Angela Wamola, Head of GSMA for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Although the majority of Nigerians have access to 4G coverage, she emphasized the disparity between the availability of 4G coverage and the actual use of mobile internet, noting that many do not make use of mobile internet services.

Wamola stated, “To put Nigeria in the perspective of Sub-Saharan Africa, which reflects the difficulties we encounter, we observe that only roughly 19% of our population uses mobile internet with a smartphone, and another 8% uses mobile internet but with a smart feature phone.”

“There will be a sizable portion of our population—roughly 60%—who have access to at least 4G coverage today but have never used mobile internet,” she continued. We deconstruct that 60% figure as follows: 42% of people do not even own a device, so they will not be able to access mobile internet, and 18% of people own a phone but do not use it.

This disparity in mobile internet penetration, according to GSMA, highlights a significant obstacle to extending digital inclusion throughout the nation.

She also underlined that, in spite of worldwide progress, only 50% of Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to get 4G by 2030. Telecom growth is nevertheless hampered, particularly in rural regions, by high infrastructure costs, antiquated technology, growing energy costs, and currency instability.

She revealed that Nigeria runs the danger of lagging behind in the global digital economy in the absence of substantial investment and governmental support, which would have an effect on GDP growth, tax receipts, and general productivity.

With over half of the continent’s 5G connections located in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, the GSMA Sub-Saharan Africa Head also noted the region’s sluggish 5G uptake. Only 17% of people are predicted to have 5G coverage by 2030, meaning that the great majority will not have access to next-generation connectivity.

Africa runs the risk of falling farther behind in digital transformation if immediate action is not taken, she said. She urged Nigeria’s government and telecom providers to give 5G infrastructure first priority in order to overcome this obstacle, since it would draw in investment and encourage innovation.

Nigeria’s economy still depends heavily on the telecom industry, which in 2023 would account for 13.5% of GDP, or N33 trillion. By 2028, more digitization in important industries including manufacturing, transportation, government, and agriculture may boost GDP by an additional 2 percentage points.

To guarantee that more Nigerians can access and take use of mobile internet services, experts concur that cooperation between governmental entities, telecom providers, and foreign parties is crucial.

Stakeholders stress that deliberate action is now needed to eliminate Nigeria’s mobile internet use gap and unleash the country’s full digital potential, since digital transformation is a major driver of economic growth.