Nigeria rated 11th in world’s internet penetration – NCC reveals

The Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC), on Thursday, disclosed that Nigeria was rated eleventh in terms of Internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage in the world.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Prof Umar Danbatta, made the revelation at the opening ceremony of the two-day Emerging Technology Forum for the Telecommunications Industry in Abuja.

Dambatta, who spoke through the Head, Spectrum Database Management, NCC, Abraham Oshadami, stated that the worldwide data gathered by the NRI team demonstrated that digital transformation was a global need in order to optimise the social and economic effects of the digital era.

The executive vice chairman added that the NRI examined the performance of 131 economies across four categories: technology (infrastructure), governance, people, and effect.

He said, “Nigeria is a telecommunications powerhouse, accounting for 82 per cent of the continent’s telecom subscribers and 29 per cent of the continent’s internet consumption.”

“Our country ranks eleventh in the world for Internet penetration and seventh in mobile phone usage.

“The NRI team’s global data shows that digital transformation is a global imperative for maximising the social and economic effects of the digital era. Despite these remarkable metrics, our Network Readiness Index (NRI) ranking for 2022 of 109th out of 131 countries is both humbling and challenging.”

Danbatta further stated that, as representatives of social and economic development in the country, prioritising network preparedness is not only a strategic need but also a mission.