Nigeria accounted for an estimated 140 million people in the mobile internet usage gap in 2025, according to the GSM Association.
The figure was disclosed in the GSMA’s State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 report, which examined the barriers limiting the adoption and use of mobile internet services.
The figure represents Nigerians who lived within the coverage areas of mobile broadband networks but did not use mobile internet services, underscoring the scale of the country’s connectivity challenge despite widespread network availability.
The GSMA defines the mobile internet usage gap as the population living within the footprint of a mobile broadband network but not using mobile internet services.
“The biggest challenge is a lack of mobile internet adoption among people living in areas already covered by mobile broadband,” the GSMA said.
Nigeria accounted for about 140 million people in the mobile internet usage gap in 2025, as 3.1 billion people globally lived within mobile broadband coverage but did not use mobile internet services, according to the GSMA.
Nigeria’s usage gap was roughly the same as Pakistan’s at 140 million, while India and China recorded larger gaps of 710 million and 200 million, respectively.
The GSMA’s 2025 Consumer Survey highlights a significant urban-rural divide in mobile internet adoption in Nigeria.
Among adults surveyed, 66 per cent of urban respondents used mobile internet, compared with 33 per cent of those in rural areas. The gap was also evident in access to internet-enabled devices, with 79 per cent of urban respondents owning such handsets, compared with 51 per cent of rural respondents.
Awareness of mobile internet was relatively high in both groups, at 97 per cent among urban respondents and 86 per cent among rural respondents.
For existing mobile internet users, the GSMA identified safety and security concerns, affordability and the quality of connectivity as some of the factors limiting greater use.
Among existing mobile internet users, safety and security concerns, affordability and the quality of connectivity were among the barriers limiting greater use.
The latest GSMA findings come against the backdrop of a persistent gap between mobile broadband coverage and actual internet usage in Nigeria.
While millions of Nigerians remain offline despite mobile broadband availability, data consumption among those already connected continues to increase.
