Last updated on December 20th, 2023 at 07:51 am
If you have ever asked the question, “how many internet users are in Nigeria?” while trying to start a business online or maybe just out of curiosity, you are reading the right article.
You will have an overview of available data on the number of internet users, social media users, eCommerce adaptation, digital advertisement, and what it means to online business in Nigeria.
It is no news that the pandemic has affected the ways businesses operate, businesses that didn’t consider going digital were forced to go digital during the pandemic.
People without smartphones were forced to buy in order to still sell during the lockdown, they realized failure to adapt to the digital world would mean to risk running out of business.
Knowing the number of internet users in Nigeria should motivate you to start an online business or take your brick-and-mortar business online.
PS- All the data and images are from Digital reportal except specified otherwise
The population of Nigeria
The population of Nigeria as of 2021 is estimated to be 208.8 million, with 50.7% male and 49.3% female. The average age of the population was 18.1 years. About 71.3 of the male population and 52.7% of the female population above 15 years are literate.
If about 62% of Nigeria population are literate that means more than half of Nigeria population can use the internet to perform transactions, socialize and do other activities online
How many internet users are in Nigeria?
Data reportal estimates that the number of internet users in Nigeria is 104.4 million, which means about 50% of the total population are internet users
While statistics from Statista estimates that the number of internet users in Nigeria in 2022 will be 115.99 million and 143.26 million internet users in Nigeria by 2026.
The graph below shows that the number of internet users in Nigeria will increase steadily as the years go by.
What does the annual increase in internet users in Nigeria mean?
The rise in the number of internet users in Nigeria means that the Nigerian population is willing to move with the rest of the world in terms of adapting to technology and ICT.
It also means that businesses have the opportunity to build their brand and increase sales online by engaging these growing internet users in Nigeria.
Individuals and businesses are no longer limited by location because, with the internet, you can be in Lagos and do business with someone in Nasarawa state or even beyond the borders of Nigeria.
The internet has made the world a global village, That’s why Multinational companies like Facebook (Meta), Twitter, Google, Alibaba, and Amazon can be in their various location and generate revenue from different countries of the world.
Tapping from the power of the internet to your advantage shouldn’t be an option anymore, it has become a necessity to go digital.
Mobile Internet users in Nigeria
97 million out of the 104.4 internet users in Nigeria use their mobile phones to access the internet. The average time spent on the internet by users aged 16-64 is 5hrs.
Most Nigerians use their phones to surf the internet, some of them access the internet with their phones and computers.
Since we know that 93% of internet users in Nigeria use their mobile phones to access the internet, it, therefore, becomes necessary for businesses, influencers, and bloggers to make sure their websites are mobile-optimized because, if a website is not optimized for mobile it will reduce traffic from the website.
While contracting a website design to a developer make sure you tell them to make your website mobile optimized.
Social media users in Nigeria
The social media users were estimated to be 33 million, 32.7 million of them use their mobile phones to access social media.
Social media has become a great tool for advertisement, businesses now use it to reach out to their prospective customers.
We will discuss the growth of digital advertisement and the audience advert reaches later in this article.
WhatsApp has the lion share of the social media users in Nigeria, about 93%, followed by Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
One of the first applications people download after buying a smartphone is WhatsApp, it is easy to use and communicate to close friends because you must have the contact of somebody for you to be able to chat with the person on WhatsApp.
SMEs and retailers use WhatsApp business App and statuses to display their goods and services.
Facebook and other social media platforms are also good places to engage and educate a target audience, thereby creating an online presence.
Potential internet users in Nigeria that marketers can reach using social media
The potential audience that marketers can reach using Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter will be displayed in the images below.
Potential internet users in Nigeria that marketers can reach using Facebook
Facebook Ad has the potential of reaching about 29 million internet users in Nigeria, depending on your niche you can narrow down your ad to reach your target audience.
As we have seen from the previous image, Facebook is the second most used social media in Nigeria after WhatsApp, that is why it can reach a large percentage of the social media users in Nigeria.
Potential internet users in Nigeria that marketers can reach using Instagram
Instagram Ad can reach about 8.4 million internet users in Nigeria.40.5% of these are female while 59.5% are male.
Potential internet users in Nigeria that marketers can reach using Twitter
Twitter Ad can reach about 3.05 million internet users in Nigeria, 35% female and 65% male.
Potential internet users in Nigeria that marketers can reach using LinkedIn
LinkedIn Ad has the potential of reaching 5.7 million internet users in Nigeria, 34% male, and 66% female.
LinkedIn is a professional platform for connecting with professionals in your field and other fields.
Potential internet users in Nigeria that marketers can reach using Snapchat
Snapchat Ad has the potential of reaching 6.65 million internet users in Nigeria, 53% female and 43.5%, male.
Potential internet users in Nigeria that marketers can reach using Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger Ad has the potential to reach 4 million internet users in Nigeria, 37.5% female and 62.5% male.
Overview of consumer eCommerce goods
The number of people purchasing on the internet is about 64.69 million dollars, the average amount an individual spends online in Nigeria is 77 dollars (45,000 naira).
The impact of the number of internet users in Nigeria
The high level of penetration of internet users in Nigeria means a lot. The data shows that doing business online in Nigeria has the potential of reaching a lot of people because that is where they are easily reached.
Whatever brick-and-mortar business you are involved in or want to start can be done successfully online with the right digital marketing strategy.
The data also shows that more people are becoming open to buying online in Nigeria, therefore, making it a goal to create an eCommerce website, start a dropshipping business, mini importation business, or any other online business.
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