Nigeria was ranked eleventh worldwide in terms of Internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage, according to data released by the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission on Thursday.
This was mentioned during the opening ceremony of the two-day Emerging Technology Forum for the Telecommunications Industry in Abuja by Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta.
The EVC said that the global data acquired by the NRI team showed that digital transformation was a necessity for the entire world in order to maximize the social and economic impacts of the digital era. The EVC was represented in his remarks by the Head, of Spectrum Database Management, NCC, Abraham Oshadami.
The NRI, he continued, looked at 131 economies’ performance in four areas: technology (infrastructure), governance, people, and effect.
In his words, “Nigeria is a telecommunications powerhouse, accounting for 82 percent of the telecom subscribers and 29 percent of the continent’s internet consumption.
“Our nation is seventh in the world for mobile phone usage and elevenst for Internet penetration.
“Global data from the NRI team demonstrates that digital transformation is a necessity for leveraging the social and economic benefits of the digital era. Despite these outstanding numbers, we are humbled and challenged by our Network Readiness Index ranking of 109th out of 131 countries for 2022.”
Danbatta continued by saying that prioritizing network preparedness is not just a strategic imperative, but also a mission for those who represent the country’s social and economic progress.
“It can lead to new disparities that make it difficult for younger generations to participate in the digital economy, but it also continues to be a potent means for people at all income levels to get more done with less,” he concluded.
