A report has affirmed the cost of data in Nigeria as the lowest in West Africa.
The report said Nigeria stands out globally for its affordable mobile data costs, offering cost-effective connectivity services.
With an average data cost of $0.38 for a gigabyte, mobile data in Nigeria is one of the cheapest in the world and one of the lowest in Africa.
This position was affirmed by the International Telecommunications Union and revealed in the GSMA report titled, “The role of mobile technology in driving the digital economy in Nigeria.”
“According to the ITU, the cost in Nigeria (as a % of GNI per capita) for a basic data-only package is the lowest in West Africa and well below the average across Africa,” the GSMA report said.
In comparison to Nigeria, other African countries, such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa have higher data costs, with Kenya averaging $0.59 per gigabyte, Ethiopia with an average of $0.68 per gigabyte and South Africa at $1.77 per gigabyte.
Minister: Telecom tariffs won’t be increased by 100%
The United States offers data rates at an average of $6 for a gigabyte.
Amid its cost-friendly and competitive data rates, Nigerian telecommunications operators are currently advocating for a tariff increase to address the pressing challenges the sector is faced with, due to currency devaluation, inflation and the overall Nigerian economic downturn in the past months.
The federal government has acknowledged the need for tariff adjustments, while also assuring Nigerians that any increase will be moderate, and not up to 100 per cent as the telecommunication companies had requested.
A thriving digital economy would have a material impact on the economy of Nigeria over the next three to five years.
It is estimated that increased digitalisation in agriculture, manufacturing, transport, trade, and government will increase GDP by around two percentage points by 2028. This would also create nearly 2 million jobs and raise an additional N1.6 trillion in tax revenue.
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