…Lagos, Ogun, Kano host most subscribers
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that the population of Nigerians who subscribe to the internet grew 9.07 percent from 141,971,560 in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021 to 154,847,901 in the last quarter of 2022.
The latest national telecommunications statistics released by the NBS showed that on a quarter-on-quarter basis, internet subscribers grew by 1.35 percent from 152,784,980 in Q3 2022..
Based on the data, MTN had the highest share of subscriptions in the country (42.37 percent), followed by Glo (27.8 percent), and Airtel (26.59 percent).
However, on a state profile analysis, Lagos state had the highest number of active internet subscribers over the period under review, with 18,702,394, followed by Ogun with 9,206,614 and Kano with 8,470,131. On the other hand, Bayelsa recorded the least with 1,101,002, followed by Ebonyi and Ekiti with 1,264,825 and 1,474,970, respectively.
The growth in total mobile internet subscriptions across the country indicates continued recovery from the downturn recorded in late 2020 and early 2021 due to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) ban on SIM registration.
According to the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) the development could also be attributed to the growing demand for smartphones and the need for internet access, following trends of increased patronage for digital services offered over internet-enabled platforms, as all states of the federation recorded growth over this period, although some have lower subscriptions than others.
In its Economic Update on Nigeria, the CSEA projected that as the internet demand continues to rise, the supply of network (including bandwidth length) must record a corresponding growth, especially in areas with poor coverage, as this can boost commercial/economic activities, income generation, and even enhance access to educational opportunities and materials to improve learning in the country. The CSEA further urged the federal government, through the NCC, to continue to exercise due diligence by raising awareness and improving access to Internet facilities for the less privileged in the society.