Nigeria sees small gain in broadband access

19 April 2024

Nigeria has seen a small gain in broadband internet access as of February, but it confronts a difficult struggle in attaining its broadband objective for next year, as per the most recent data from the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).

The country's broadband internet connections climbed by 1.3% month over month in February to 93.4 million. This comes after a 2.7% monthly drop in January. According to the NCC, mobile broadband accounts for over 99% of Nigeria's broadband connections due to the convenience and low cost of getting mobile lines.

The small monthly rise in broadband connections lifted the country's broadband penetration rate to 43.1%, up from 42.5% in January. According to NCC, the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020-2025) aims to achieve 70% broadband penetration and 90% population coverage by 2025.

To meet this ambitious goal, the government will need to solve the huge shortage in communications infrastructure in the country's rural areas. Mobile operators across the country continue to confront a few obstacles while constructing telecom infrastructure, including security concerns, theft and vandalism of telecom equipment, and issues with states issuing Right of Way licenses to telecom operators.