Nigeria’s mobile landscape is set for a transformation with smartphone penetration projected to hit 91% by 2030, according to new data released by the GSMA, the global association for mobile network operators.
The report pinpointed Nigeria as one of the key markets driving growth in mobile internet adoption across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Between 2025 and 2030, the country is expected to add 32 million new unique mobile internet subscribers, contributing substantially to the region’s share of global digital expansion.
As of 2024, only 29% of Nigeria’s population—approximately 58 million people—were active mobile internet users, despite the country recording over 141 million mobile internet subscriptions due to its widespread use of multiple SIM cards.
GSMA projects that a shift in smartphone accessibility, combined with rising demand for digital services, will accelerate connectivity in underserved regions, especially rural areas.
Smartphone connections in Nigeria are expected to grow from 163 million to 230 million by the end of the decade, driven by increased affordability and the popularity of entry-level devices from Chinese manufacturers. These low-cost alternatives have helped close the accessibility gap, with data from the International Trade Centre showing that Nigeria imported over $3.8 billion worth of mobile phones since 2019—74% of which originated from China.
“The demand for data in Nigeria is exceptional and will continue to grow,” said Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria. His comment aligns with data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which reported a 93.35% increase in monthly data usage over the past two years, rising to over one million terabytes in January 2025.
GSMA also notes that short-form video content, AI-driven media, and social platforms are among the main drivers of rising data consumption. With mobile data traffic per user expected to quadruple, the telecom sector is positioned for exponential growth, provided key infrastructure and regulatory reforms are implemented.
To unlock the full potential of this projected growth, GSMA emphasizes the need for a supportive policy environment.
Telecom operators in Nigeria have recently scaled back network expansion to focus on financial sustainability, leading to a slowdown in sectoral growth.
In response, the federal government has launched a $2 billion fibre optic project to bridge infrastructure gaps, targeting 90,000 kilometers of fibre deployment nationwide.
GSMA estimates that with improved regulatory frameworks and better policy incentives, Nigeria could onboard an additional 15 million mobile internet users by 2028, reinforcing the country’s status as a digital leader in the region.
