Nigeria accounts for 140m mobile internet usage gap — Report

Nigeria's mobile internet usage gap reached an estimated 140 million people in 2025, according to the GSM Association's State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 report. The usage gap refers to individuals residing within the range of mobile broadband networks who do not utilize mobile internet services. Nigeria's challenge in this area is largely due to the lack of mobile internet adoption among people living in areas already covered by mobile broadband networks.

The GSMA's report indicates a significant disparity in mobile internet adoption between urban and rural Nigerians. While 66% of urban respondents were using mobile internet, only 33% of rural respondents had adopted the technology. Moreover, only 51% of rural respondents owned internet-enabled devices, compared to 79% of their urban counterparts.

The barriers to greater mobile internet use for those already connected include safety and security concerns, affordability, and the quality of connectivity experiences. The GSMA had previously estimated that in 2023, about 120 million Nigerians were not using mobile internet, despite residing within mobile broadband coverage. The usage gap widened from 120 million in 2023 to about 140 million in 2025.

Despite the growing mobile internet consumption, millions of Nigerians remain unconnected. Data consumption among those with mobile internet continues to rise, with a record 1.5 million terabytes consumed in May. The share of internet users on 4G networks has risen to 54.3%, and active mobile internet subscriptions increased from 154.3 million in April to 15 in May.