Lagos leads as Nigeria’s internet subscribers’ rise by 0.62% in 12 months

Lagos, Ogun, and Kano have been ranked as the state with the highest number of internet data subscribers in the country, jointly accounting for 23.8 per cent of the total internet subscriber base in the country.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed this on Tuesday in its telecoms Data: Active Voice and Internet, Porting and Tariff Information report for first quarter 2022, published on its website

Internet subscribers in Nigeria increased marginally by 0.62 per cent year-on-year to 145.85 million as of March 2022 compared to 144.95 million subscribers recorded as of the corresponding period of 2021.

According to the NBS, Lagos state, the economic hub of the nation recorded the highest number of internet subscribers in the review quarter at 17.84 million, representing 12.2 per cent the total internet subscribers in the country.

The number of internet subscribers in the state increased by 248,314 year-on-year from 17.59 million subscribers recorded as of the same period of 2021 to 17.84 million.

Ogun state, which is a neighboring state to Lagos and a center for many industries in the country recorded a total internet subscriber base of 8.54 million as of March 2022, which accounts for 5.9 per cent of the total subscribers recorded in the period under review.

However, its subscriber base was reduced on a year-on-year basis, dropping by 155,951 from 8.69 million subscribers recorded as of March 2021 to 8.54 million in the first quarter of 2022.

In the highly populated state, Kano recorded a total internet subscriber base of 8.36 million as of March 2022, accounting for 5.7 per cent of the total internet subscribers as of the same period.

The state recorded 35,336 new subscribers year-on-year from 8.33 million recorded as of March 2021.

Oyo State, housing the largest city in West Africa and neighboring states to Lagos and Ogun State recorded total internet subscribers of 7.52 million as of the end of the first quarter of the year, representing 5.2 per cent of the total internet subscribers in the country.

However, the number of internet subscribers in the state reduced by 213,612 from 7.74 million recorded in the first quarter of 2021 to 7.52 million in the review period.

Abuja recorded the highest number of internet subscriber increase on a year-on-year basis, with 487,197 additional subscribers to stand at 7.7 million, followed by Anambra, and Lagos State with 286,143 and 248,314 additional subscribers respectively.

The country’s capital accounted for 4.9 per cent of the total internet subscribers in the country as of March 2022 at 7.11 million subscribers. Its internet subscribers increased by 487,197 year-on-year from 6.62 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2021.

Other States, according to the data include Kaduna which has 6.78 million; Rivers – 5.21 million; Delta – 5.13 million; Edo – 5.08 million and Niger – 4.65 million.