According to an in-depth research by the alliance for affordable Internet (A4I), it disclosed that only 12.1 percent of the Nigerian population currently enjoys Internet services. Explaining further, it explains that 81 percent meaningful connectivity gap exists in Nigeria and claims that in the rural region, 0.6 percent enjoy meaningful Internet service, while urban region, 16.4 percent enjoy meaningful Internet connectivity.
This is coming as broadband penetration in Nigeria hits 42.3 percent, while users increased to 80.7 million in March. The Nigerian community commission (NCC) statistics, which revealed this, also informed that Internet users via the narrowband rose to 145.8 million within the same period.
With a focus on nine countries, such as Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Columbia, Ghana, India, Rwanda, Kenya, the broadband body informed that across these nine countries surveyed, rural areas lagged behind their urban counterparts in terms of Internet, which having a meaningful access to the Internet, Urban areas have levels that are three times greater than that of the rural areas.
It also carried out a survey on the number of PC owners in Nigeria, which disclosed that only 68.7 percent of the entire population own a PC. These statistics aforementioned, indeed shows that Nigeria has a long way to go in terms of meaningful Internet connectivity.
With 81% of Nigerians lacking meaningful Internet access, this is almost the entire population, and it will no doubt stifle economic growth. It is a major concern that requires urgent attention from the government.
Lack of meaningful Internet connectivity, apart from the fact that it hampers the country’s economic growth, will also affect job creation and inhibit the country’s move to keep up with global trends of innovation and creativity.
According to the world bank, it states that broadband Internet connectivity is a strong catalyst for economic growth, with every 10 percent increase in connectivity enabling a 1.38 percent growth in a country’s GDP. Also, Nigeria’s average Internet download speed is abysmally poor, which according to OOkla speed test global index, it reports that the country’s Internet speed as at 2021 stands at around 10.02 megabytes per second, which is way below the global average per second.
Despite the fact that the country recorded progress in the information technology sector, it was not enough to compete with the rest of the world. Looking at how the future has evolved where Internet connectivity now goes beyond connecting devices and people, to the creation of different technological tools, it is a wake up call for the Nigerian government to speed up the implementation of the National broadband policies, so as to explore the potential of its massive Internet users to revolutionize the nation’s socio-economic status and as well compete with the rest of the world.
However, in all of this, with the recent news of Elon Musk Starlink Fast Internet provider coming to Nigeria, I am very ecstatic because it has a lot of benefits for the Nigerian internet service connectivity, which will no doubt improving the internet speed in the country that will also enable small businesses to thrive thereby improving the country’s economy.
Star link, which is a high speed Internet access delivered via low earth orbital satellites, will no doubt solve the country’s problem of Internet access and speed, most especially in the rural areas in the country. With the arrival of starlink, what this means is that a child in ‘Ovim’ Abia state, can also enjoy faster Internet services like those in urban areas.
Starlink Fast broadband Internet access will no doubt scale up all sectors in the country which will also see a fall in the price of data, making it affordable to a large number of Nigerians who cannot afford data.
