According to the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC), Nigeria has secured the 11th spot in global Internet penetration and the 7th position in mobile phone usage across the world.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Emerging Technology Forum for the Telecommunications Industry held in Abuja, Prof Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, revealed these rankings.
Addressing the audience on behalf of the EVC, Abraham Oshadami, Head of Spectrum Database Management at NCC, conveyed that the comprehensive global data collected by the Network Readiness Index (NRI) team underscored the worldwide necessity for digital transformation in order to harness the social and economic benefits of the digital age.
The NRI evaluation encompassed 131 economies and analyzed four main categories: technology infrastructure, governance, human resources, and overall impact. Oshadami stated, “Nigeria holds a strong position in the telecommunications landscape, with 82% of the continent’s telecom subscribers and 29% of its internet consumption.”
“Nigeria ranks 11th globally for Internet penetration and 7th for mobile phone utilization.”
He emphasized that the global data from the NRI team reinforces the significance of digital transformation as a global imperative to leverage the potential of the digital era for societal and economic advancement. Despite these positive metrics, Nigeria’s NRI ranking of 109th out of 131 countries in 2022 is a sobering reminder of the work that lies ahead.
Danbatta continued by emphasizing that as catalysts for social and economic progress, prioritizing network readiness is not only a strategic imperative but also a mission.
“While it can create new disparities that impede the participation of younger generations in the digital economy, it is also a potent tool to achieve more with fewer resources across all income levels. As formal education evolves, data-driven metrics are crucial to facilitate informed policy formulation.”
