BROADBAND connections in Nigeria have increased by 16 percent year-on-year to 92 million. An increase of 2 percent has been noted month-on-month between December 2022 and January this year.

The figure implies a penetration rate of 48,2 percent, up from 47,4 percent the previous month, and 41,6 percent as at January 2022. FBN Quest Nigeria attributed the rise in broadband connections to
substantial investments made by the network operators.

The market watcher noted these investments had been motivated by the federal government’s implementation of the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020-2025), which aims to achieve a broadband penetration rate of 70 percent by 2025.

The plan also seeks to achieve 90 percent of population coverage, as well as deliver data download speeds of a minimum of 25mbps in urban areas and 10mbps in rural areas by 2025. FBN sees the recent launch of Starlink service in Nigeria as an important step towards the attainment of the broadband population coverage target.

The service is hailed for offering improved internet quality and faster download time for users. However, concerns remain regarding the level of internet penetration throughout the country in relation to the service.

“The high cost associated with it has created difficulties for Nigerians to access the service, particularly for those residing in rural areas,” FBN stated.

It expects the continuous rollout of fifth-generation (5G) network by MTN Nigeria to help enhance broadband penetration. According to the telecoms operator, it seeks to attain a10 percent 5G
network coverage by year-end.

There has been steady growth in Nigeria’s broadband internet connections since October 2021, excluding a slight drop in February 2022. Mobile internet connection accounts for over 99 percent of Nigeria’s
broadband connections. Nigeria is the largest mobile market in the continent, with a total population estimated at 220 million.

– CAJ News