TelecomsClinic@ITREALMS with Remmy Nweke spotlights Nigeria’s digital divide, exposing gaps in access, affordability, and literacy, while warning of looming internet fragmentation risks. A call for inclusive policies, innovation, and digital rights to secure Nigeria’s connected future.
The story of the twenty-first century is increasingly one of connection. From banking transactions to telemedicine, classroom learning to market access, the internet has become the backbone of daily life.
Yet in Nigeria and much of the Global South, the promise of a truly inclusive digital economy is still hampered by the persistent specter of the digital divide.
While some Nigerians stream their lives seamlessly on high-speed fibre connections, millions of others are locked out entirely or survive on the barest minimum of access, navigating poor connectivity, unreliable electricity, and prohibitive data costs.
A 2023 report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimated that 2.6 billion people worldwide remain offline, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for the largest share.
In Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that internet penetration reached about 55 percent by the end of 2023.
That still leaves more than 90 million Nigerians excluded from reliable access, largely in rural areas. The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) consistently ranks Nigeria among the countries where data costs exceed the UN Broadband Commission’s target of 2 percent of average monthly income.
The digital divide is more than just a matter of bandwidth or smartphones. It mirrors Nigeria’s socio-economic inequalities. Urban elites in Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt may enjoy access to global platforms, yet rural communities across Sokoto, Ebonyi, or Cross River still lack basic infrastructure.
The cost of devices remains prohibitive for many families. Even where connectivity exists, digital literacy lags: a UNESCO study on digital literacy in Nigeria (2022) found that less than 30 percent of rural youth could perform basic online tasks beyond messaging.
Alongside this entrenched divide lies an even more subtle threat: the risk of internet fragmentation. The Internet Society (ISOC) defines fragmentation as the breakdown of the global internet into “isolated networks governed by different rules,” often shaped by restrictive state controls, regulatory barriers, or proprietary platforms.
In practical terms, it means the open, interoperable internet envisioned since its creation could fracture into disconnected silos.
For Nigeria, the risk is far from theoretical. Proposals for internet shutdowns during elections, debates over social media regulation, and discussions around data localization laws have triggered fears of creeping fragmentation.
The Paradigm Initiative (PIN), in its 2023 Digital Rights in Africa Report, warned that “shutdowns and restrictive laws in Nigeria undermine both rights and economic opportunities.”
A fragmented internet not only limits innovation and competition but could trap local businesses in isolated digital spaces, cut off from global marketplaces.
The implications for development are stark. E-learning platforms lose value if rural children cannot connect. Farmers using digital tools for weather updates or market pricing face obstacles when platforms are blocked or fragmented. Health innovations that rely on cross-border data sharing are stifled when national firewalls obstruct collaboration.
As the World Bank’s 2021 Digital Economy Diagnostic for Nigeria observed, “Without universal and affordable access, digital transformation risks reinforcing inequalities rather than reducing them.”
Nigeria has not been idle. The National Broadband Plan (2020–2025) sets a target of achieving 70 percent broadband penetration by 2025, with minimum download speeds of 25Mbps in urban areas and 10Mbps in rural zones.
The government has also launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) to diversify beyond oil.
Yet implementation remains uneven. Infrastructure rollout is constrained by high right-of-way charges, insecurity in rural zones, and overlapping regulatory frameworks.
The GSMA Mobile Economy Report (2023) highlights Nigeria as one of the top three African countries with the highest mobile broadband coverage gap.
At the same time, heavy taxation on ICT services adds to the burden. The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) estimates that the sector faces over 40 different taxes and levies across federal, state, and local governments.
These costs inevitably filter down to consumers, widening the affordability gap.
The balance between security, sovereignty, and openness remains delicate. While government officials argue that stronger control over cyberspace protects national security, digital rights advocates caution that such measures, if unchecked, could isolate Nigeria from the global internet economy.
International partners, from the ITU to the World Bank, must reinforce Nigeria’s integration into the global digital commons.
The digital divide is not inevitable, and internet fragmentation is not destiny. Both are human-made challenges that can be reversed with political will, targeted investment, and inclusive governance.
Nigeria cannot afford to stand on the margins of the digital revolution. To do so would be to deepen existing inequalities and jeopardize its ambition of becoming Africa’s digital hub.
For ITREALMS readers, the call is unmistakable: bridging the divide and resisting fragmentation is not simply about faster downloads or wider coverage.
It is about Nigeria’s place in the world economy, its ability to empower its citizens, and its stake in keeping the internet an open space for innovation, freedom, and shared progress.
Yet in Nigeria and much of the Global South, the promise of a truly inclusive digital economy is still hampered by the persistent specter of the digital divide.
While some Nigerians stream their lives seamlessly on high-speed fibre connections, millions of others are locked out entirely or survive on the barest minimum of access, navigating poor connectivity, unreliable electricity, and prohibitive data costs.
A 2023 report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimated that 2.6 billion people worldwide remain offline, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for the largest share.
In Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that internet penetration reached about 55 percent by the end of 2023.
That still leaves more than 90 million Nigerians excluded from reliable access, largely in rural areas. The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) consistently ranks Nigeria among the countries where data costs exceed the UN Broadband Commission’s target of 2 percent of average monthly income.
The digital divide is more than just a matter of bandwidth or smartphones. It mirrors Nigeria’s socio-economic inequalities. Urban elites in Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt may enjoy access to global platforms, yet rural communities across Sokoto, Ebonyi, or Cross River still lack basic infrastructure.
The cost of devices remains prohibitive for many families. Even where connectivity exists, digital literacy lags: a UNESCO study on digital literacy in Nigeria (2022) found that less than 30 percent of rural youth could perform basic online tasks beyond messaging.
Alongside this entrenched divide lies an even more subtle threat: the risk of internet fragmentation. The Internet Society (ISOC) defines fragmentation as the breakdown of the global internet into “isolated networks governed by different rules,” often shaped by restrictive state controls, regulatory barriers, or proprietary platforms.
In practical terms, it means the open, interoperable internet envisioned since its creation could fracture into disconnected silos.
For Nigeria, the risk is far from theoretical. Proposals for internet shutdowns during elections, debates over social media regulation, and discussions around data localization laws have triggered fears of creeping fragmentation.
The Paradigm Initiative (PIN), in its 2023 Digital Rights in Africa Report, warned that “shutdowns and restrictive laws in Nigeria undermine both rights and economic opportunities.”
A fragmented internet not only limits innovation and competition but could trap local businesses in isolated digital spaces, cut off from global marketplaces.
The implications for development are stark. E-learning platforms lose value if rural children cannot connect. Farmers using digital tools for weather updates or market pricing face obstacles when platforms are blocked or fragmented. Health innovations that rely on cross-border data sharing are stifled when national firewalls obstruct collaboration.
As the World Bank’s 2021 Digital Economy Diagnostic for Nigeria observed, “Without universal and affordable access, digital transformation risks reinforcing inequalities rather than reducing them.”
Nigeria has not been idle. The National Broadband Plan (2020–2025) sets a target of achieving 70 percent broadband penetration by 2025, with minimum download speeds of 25Mbps in urban areas and 10Mbps in rural zones.
The government has also launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) to diversify beyond oil.
Yet implementation remains uneven. Infrastructure rollout is constrained by high right-of-way charges, insecurity in rural zones, and overlapping regulatory frameworks.
The GSMA Mobile Economy Report (2023) highlights Nigeria as one of the top three African countries with the highest mobile broadband coverage gap.
These costs inevitably filter down to consumers, widening the affordability gap.
The balance between security, sovereignty, and openness remains delicate. While government officials argue that stronger control over cyberspace protects national security, digital rights advocates caution that such measures, if unchecked, could isolate Nigeria from the global internet economy.
As Dr. Andrew Sullivan, President of the Internet Society, has warned: “A fragmented internet is a less valuable internet for everyone, particularly for those in developing economies that stand to benefit the most from open connectivity.”
Closing Nigeria’s gap requires more than policy promises. Experts agree it demands a multi-stakeholder approach. Government must prioritize enabling regulation, expanding affordable broadband, and safeguarding an open internet.
The private sector must invest in last-mile connectivity and innovative financing to make devices accessible to ordinary citizens. Civil society must continue championing digital rights and literacy, ensuring marginalized groups, especially women, rural dwellers, and people with disabilities are not excluded.
ALSO READ
Closing Nigeria’s gap requires more than policy promises. Experts agree it demands a multi-stakeholder approach. Government must prioritize enabling regulation, expanding affordable broadband, and safeguarding an open internet.
The private sector must invest in last-mile connectivity and innovative financing to make devices accessible to ordinary citizens. Civil society must continue championing digital rights and literacy, ensuring marginalized groups, especially women, rural dwellers, and people with disabilities are not excluded.
ALSO READ
International partners, from the ITU to the World Bank, must reinforce Nigeria’s integration into the global digital commons.
The digital divide is not inevitable, and internet fragmentation is not destiny. Both are human-made challenges that can be reversed with political will, targeted investment, and inclusive governance.
Nigeria cannot afford to stand on the margins of the digital revolution. To do so would be to deepen existing inequalities and jeopardize its ambition of becoming Africa’s digital hub.
For ITREALMS readers, the call is unmistakable: bridging the divide and resisting fragmentation is not simply about faster downloads or wider coverage.
It is about Nigeria’s place in the world economy, its ability to empower its citizens, and its stake in keeping the internet an open space for innovation, freedom, and shared progress.
No comments:
Post a Comment