Expanding 5G and fibre infrastructure could help Nigeria bring millions more people into the digital economy, but affordability and digital skills must improve alongside network investment, according to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association.
About 140 million Nigerians were estimated to live within mobile broadband coverage but were not using mobile internet services as of 2025, highlighting the difference between providing network infrastructure and achieving actual adoption.
The finding was contained in the GSMA’s State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 report referenced in the supplied newspaper roundup.
Coverage Alone Not Enough
The size of the usage gap means extending networks into previously uncovered areas addresses only part of Nigeria’s connectivity challenge.
Millions of people already live where mobile broadband is available but remain offline.
GSMA identified factors including the affordability of internet-capable devices, digital skills, awareness, availability of relevant services and the quality and cost of connectivity as barriers.
This means telecom operators and policymakers face a two-part challenge: expanding infrastructure while making existing infrastructure commercially and practically accessible.
4G and 5G Migration Critical
GSMA’s Africa connectivity roadmap also identified faster migration away from legacy networks towards 4G and 5G as one of the measures required to narrow the continent’s digital divide.
It also called for coordinated investment in telecommunications and energy infrastructure and lower costs associated with connecting underserved communities.
The commercial implications are significant.
Greater internet adoption expands the potential market for fintech companies, e-commerce platforms, streaming businesses, digital-health services, online education providers and other technology companies.
It could also increase demand for data services, smartphones and digital financial products.
But bringing millions of additional Nigerians online will require more than constructing towers and fibre networks.
Reducing device costs and improving digital literacy could prove just as important as the next generation of telecom infrastructure in determining how rapidly Nigeria’s digital economy expands.
