Million Nigerians Offline Despite Mobile Coverage — GSMA

Nigeria had an estimated 140 million people in the mobile internet usage gap in 2025, according to the GSM Association (GSMA), highlighting a widening disconnect between network availability and actual internet adoption.

The figure is contained in the GSMA’s latest State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 report, which examines the barriers preventing people from accessing and using mobile internet services.

The GSMA defines the usage gap as people who live within the footprint of mobile broadband networks but do not use mobile internet. It is therefore different from the coverage gap, which refers to people living in areas without mobile broadband coverage.

Coverage is no longer the whole story
Nigeria’s challenge is particularly striking because mobile network coverage has expanded significantly over the years.

GSMA data shows that mobile network coverage in Nigeria rose from about 60% of the population a decade ago to nearly 90%, while the usage gap remained substantial. In 2024, the usage gap was estimated at 58% of the population.

The latest 140 million estimate places Nigeria alongside Pakistan in absolute terms, while India and China recorded larger usage gaps of approximately 710 million and 200 million respectively.

The scale of the Nigerian gap also represents an increase from the estimated 130 million in 2024, according to the GSMA’s previous reporting.

Smartphones emerge as a major bottleneck
The GSMA’s findings suggest that the next phase of Nigeria’s connectivity challenge will require more than building additional base stations and expanding network footprints.

Device affordability is a major barrier.
GSMA research on Nigeria found a significant difference between awareness of mobile internet and ownership of an internet-enabled handset, particularly among rural populations. In its 2024 consumer survey, 78% of rural respondents were aware of mobile internet, but only 39% owned an internet-enabled phone.

The organisation's broader 2026 report identifies handset affordability as the biggest barrier to mobile internet adoption across surveyed low- and middle-income countries, followed by digital skills.

A sharp urban-rural divide The adoption challenge is also uneven across Nigeria.

According to data reported from the GSMA’s consumer research, 66% of urban respondents used mobile internet compared with 33% of rural respondents. Internet-enabled handset ownership stood at 79% among urban respondents, compared with 51% in rural areas.

This suggests that simply increasing network coverage will not automatically translate into universal digital participation.

Affordability, access to suitable devices, digital literacy, awareness, security concerns and the quality of users’ connectivity experience all influence whether Nigerians actually use mobile internet and how extensively they use it.

The bigger digital economy question

The 140 million figure comes at a critical moment for Nigeria as government and businesses increasingly depend on digital platforms for financial services, commerce, education, healthcare, entertainment and public services.

Globally, the GSMA estimates that 4.8 billion people used mobile internet by the end of 2025, representing 59% of the world's population.

Yet 3.4 billion people still did not use mobile internet, including 3.1 billion who lived within mobile broadband coverage.

For Nigeria, the numbers underline a fundamental shift in the connectivity debate: the challenge is no longer only about connecting places; it is about connecting people.

As smartphone prices, data costs, digital skills and the quality of connectivity continue to shape adoption, closing Nigeria's usage gap will require interventions that make mobile internet not merely available, but affordable, accessible and useful to ordinary Nigerians.