Civic.ng Infrastructure
Reliability Intelligence

Telecom intelligence

How connected is Nigeria, and what do the public records actually measure?

This view separates two different signals: mobile subscription density and the share of people using the internet. Together they show national connectivity trends, but not local network quality, coverage, or affordability.

National series onlyMobile subscriptionsInternet useWorld Bank Open Data
Read this correctly

More mobile subscriptions do not automatically mean better service. Internet-use percentages also do not measure speed, latency, affordability, or rural coverage.

Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people)

2024

70.76 subscriptions per 100 people

Down 27.72 subscriptions per 100 people since 2023.

Source

World Bank Open Data

Individuals using the Internet (% of population)

2024

41.21 %

Up 1.15 percentage points since 2023.

Source

World Bank Open Data

Signal 1

Mobile reach

Subscription density is useful for understanding how widely mobile services are used, but a person can hold multiple SIMs or subscriptions.

Signal 2

Internet participation

The internet-use series is closer to a people-level participation measure, but it still does not describe connection quality or affordability.

Missing layer

Network quality

The next useful telecom layer would require verified subnational coverage, reliability, speed, outage, or affordability data rather than inference from national totals.

Trend

Mobile cellular subscriptions trend

Verified national series · Unit: subscriptions per 100 people

Latest

70.76 subscriptions per 100 people

2024

National trend chart for mobile cellular subscriptions in Nigeria
National trend chart for mobile cellular subscriptions in NigeriaNational trend from 1960 to 2024. Latest value 70.76 subscriptions per 100 people.1960: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1965: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1970: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1975: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1976: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1977: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1978: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1979: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1980: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1981: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1982: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1983: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1984: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1985: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1986: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1987: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1988: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1989: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1990: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1991: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1992: 0 subscriptions per 100 people1993: 0.01 subscriptions per 100 people1994: 0.01 subscriptions per 100 people1995: 0.01 subscriptions per 100 people1996: 0.01 subscriptions per 100 people1997: 0.01 subscriptions per 100 people1998: 0.02 subscriptions per 100 people1999: 0.02 subscriptions per 100 people2000: 0.02 subscriptions per 100 people2001: 0.21 subscriptions per 100 people2002: 1.18 subscriptions per 100 people2003: 2.3 subscriptions per 100 people2004: 6.48 subscriptions per 100 people2005: 12.82 subscriptions per 100 people2006: 21.68 subscriptions per 100 people2007: 26.36 subscriptions per 100 people2008: 39.97 subscriptions per 100 people2009: 45.98 subscriptions per 100 people2010: 52.39 subscriptions per 100 people2011: 55.53 subscriptions per 100 people2012: 64.01 subscriptions per 100 people2013: 70.28 subscriptions per 100 people2014: 74.75 subscriptions per 100 people2015: 79.1 subscriptions per 100 people2016: 78.97 subscriptions per 100 people2017: 72.37 subscriptions per 100 people2018: 84.28 subscriptions per 100 people2019: 88.12 subscriptions per 100 people2020: 95.44 subscriptions per 100 people2021: 89.29 subscriptions per 100 people2022: 99.59 subscriptions per 100 people2023: 98.48 subscriptions per 100 people2024: 70.76 subscriptions per 100 people1960202499.590

Trend

Individuals using the Internet trend

Verified national series · Unit: % of population

Latest

41.21 %

2024

National trend chart for individuals using the Internet in Nigeria
National trend chart for individuals using the Internet in NigeriaNational trend from 1990 to 2024. Latest value 41.21 %.1990: 0 %1996: 0.01 %1997: 0.02 %1998: 0.03 %1999: 0.04 %2000: 0.06 %2001: 0.09 %2002: 0.32 %2003: 0.56 %2004: 1.29 %2005: 3.55 %2006: 5.55 %2007: 6.77 %2008: 8 %2009: 9.3 %2010: 11.5 %2011: 13.8 %2012: 16.1 %2013: 19.1 %2014: 21 %2015: 22.51 %2016: 24.14 %2017: 25.88 %2018: 27.74 %2019: 29.74 %2020: 31.89 %2021: 35.51 %2022: 39.15 %2023: 40.06 %2024: 41.21 %1990202441.210
Scope and limitations
  • The telecom page currently uses two verified national series: mobile cellular subscriptions and individuals using the Internet.
  • Neither series should be interpreted as state-level telecom coverage, network quality, broadband speed, latency, outage frequency, or affordability.
  • The page does not interpolate missing years or invent local connectivity estimates from national data.
View raw telecom record tables

Mobile cellular subscriptions

Latest verified observation: 2024 from World Bank Open Data.

53 total rows

YearGeographyValueIndicator codeSource
2024Nigeria70.76 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2023Nigeria98.48 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2022Nigeria99.59 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2021Nigeria89.29 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2020Nigeria95.44 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2019Nigeria88.12 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2018Nigeria84.28 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2017Nigeria72.37 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2016Nigeria78.97 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2015Nigeria79.1 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2014Nigeria74.75 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2013Nigeria70.28 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2012Nigeria64.01 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2011Nigeria55.53 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data
2010Nigeria52.39 subscriptions per 100 peopleIT.CEL.SETS.P2World Bank Open Data

Individuals using the Internet

Latest verified observation: 2024 from World Bank Open Data.

30 total rows

YearGeographyValueIndicator codeSource
2024Nigeria41.21 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2023Nigeria40.06 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2022Nigeria39.15 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2021Nigeria35.51 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2020Nigeria31.89 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2019Nigeria29.74 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2018Nigeria27.74 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2017Nigeria25.88 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2016Nigeria24.14 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2015Nigeria22.51 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2014Nigeria21 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2013Nigeria19.1 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2012Nigeria16.1 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2011Nigeria13.8 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data
2010Nigeria11.5 %IT.NET.USER.ZSWorld Bank Open Data