Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The migration to 5G coverage will add additional 15 million people to the number of internet users in Nigeria by 2028, said a finding of the Nigeria Digital Economy Report in 2024 presented by GSMA over the weekend.
The Head, Sub-Saharan Africa, GSMA, Angela Wamola, at a joint virtual media discussion with the Senior Director Public Policy and Communications Sub-Saharan, Caroline Mbugua, said the growth and development of the sector and the broader economy would be stimulated by 2028 if the necessary 4G and 5G coverage with the right level of quality of service was provided.
She noted that the major challenge in Nigeria and Sub- Sahara Africa was that few people were using mobile internet.
It is estimated that Nigeria has only 1 per cent of 5G of coverage and is only aspiring to get to 17 percent of its population by 2030.
To break the cycle, according to Wamola, will require a collective approach and tightening of belts.
Her words: “The challenge today that we have in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria included, is that the minority of the people are using mobile Internet. The infrastructure exists, but very few people are using mobile internet.
“Overall, to be able to place Nigeria in the context of sub-Saharan Africa, which mirrors the challenges that we face, we see only about 19 per cent of our population are using mobile internet, using a smartphone and another 8 per cent are using mobile internet but using a smart feature phone.
“Now you will have a huge, section of about 60 percent of our population who have access to at least a 4G coverage today but have never used mobile Internet. That number is 60 per cent. We have another 13 per cent who don’t even have a 4G or broadband coverage in their area.
“So that means we are facing some sorts of infrastructure challenges, not only just quality challenges, to make sure that the population, rural, urban, male and female everybody benefits from a mobile, economy and meaningful connectivity.”
She urged action including investment in spectrum reach, noting that although 2G and 3G might be working in several communities, but is not the technology of the future when the rest of the world is already competing almost 80 per cent coverage in 5G and inching at 6G technology towards the end of the decade.
“We are at a point in time where if we do nothing and take serious bold decisions as a country, we risk creating another digital divide that leaves Africa and her population behind because these are the infrastructure will have to be built through a lot of capital, and capital is attracted by growth, by showing adoption, and uptake in the services that are given. Otherwise, we scare private capital from investing in Africa,” Wamola said.
She lauded the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, for accelerating collective prosperity through technological efficiency, commitment and for showing interest in the deployment of Artificial Intelligence since he came into office.
