Around 130 million people in Nigeria remain offline despite living in areas covered by mobile broadband underscoring the widening digital divide in the country, according to a new report by the GSMA.
The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2025, unveiled by the GSMA in London, underscores both the progress and the persistent divides shaping the future of global connectivity. While 200 million new users joined the mobile internet in 2024, 3.1 billion people worldwide – representing 38% of the global population – still live offline despite being covered by mobile networks.
Nigeria is flagged as one of the world’s largest contributors to the usage gap, with millions offline despite existing mobile broadband coverage.
Nigeria, the report says, stands among the five countries globally with the largest “usage gap,” along with India, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Nigeria, the report says, stands among the five countries globally with the largest “usage gap,” along with India, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Digital divide: Nigeria among top contributors to usage gap
“Most of those not using mobile internet do not own a mobile phone, highlighting that tackling barriers such as affordability of handsets is critical,” the report says.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that as of July 2025, Nigeria had 169,328,686 million active mobile subscriptions, corresponding to a teledensity of 78.11%, while broadband penetration stood at 48.01 percent.
A survey reported by Technology Times indicates that 72 percent of Nigerian adults still do not own smartphones, limiting access to internet services, even though coverage reaches over 90 percent of the country. Actual internet usage hovers around 35 percent.
The GSMA report explains that device cost is a barrier. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, “the affordability of an entry-level device is 87% of monthly income for the poorest 20%.” A smartphone priced at 30 US dollars (₦45,208.20) could make connectivity more attainable for millions, including in Nigeria.
Nigeria also shows marked geographic inequalities. GSMA finds that “adults living in rural areas of LMICs were 25 percent less likely than those in urban areas to use mobile internet. Women are 14 percent less likely than men to use mobile internet across LMICs.” In Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, the gender gap rises to 29 percent.
These divides mirror Nigeria’s own patterns, where rural women face higher barriers related to cost, literacy and safety.
Recent NCC data show that broadband penetration slipped slightly, from 48.81% in May 2025 to 48.01% in July 2025, raising concerns about meeting the 70% broadband target set under the National Broadband Plan. However, data usage grew significantly. Internet consumption reached 1.13 million terabytes in July 2025, driven by higher demand for streaming and remote work services.
GSMA recommends reducing taxes and duties on low-cost smartphones, expanding device financing, and investing in local language content and digital literacy to help bring more people online.
Several Nigerian initiatives already support these goals:
- The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) under the NCC aims to expand ICT access in rural and underserved areas.
- The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), established by the NCC with ISPAN, helps lower costs and improve performance for local internet traffic.
Nigeria’s digital economy depends on closing the usage gap, especially by tackling device affordability and literacy, and ensuring sustained broadband growth.
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