Nigeria is rapidly becoming a mobile-first economy as smartphone penetration rises to 75 per cent from 64 per cent in 2023, accelerating consumers’ shift from feature phones to internet-enabled devices and app-driven digital services.
Smartphone ownership in Nigeria continues to grow significantly as consumers increasingly rely on mobile devices for communication, financial transactions, entertainment, learning and productivity, creating new opportunities for businesses operating in the country’s expanding digital economy.
This was revealed in the Nigeria Smartphone Study: A Nationwide Analysis of Smartphone Ownership and Digital Application Usage, conducted by KPMG in partnership with Orange Group Nigeria.
Lawrence Amadi, partner and head, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, KPMG Africa, said the analysis was designed to provide businesses and investors with insight into consumer behaviour and preferences, and also help investors, companies, and stakeholders coming to Nigeria to invest make informed decisions and contribute to the continued development of the ecosystem.
‘The analysis intends to capture consumer behaviour and preferences, especially among consumers using smartphones and from a look forward standpoint, this kind of study will help investors, companies, stakeholders coming to Nigeria to invest, make informed decisions and contribute to the continued development of the ecosystem’, he said.
Amadi cited Temu’s entry into Nigeria as an example of how companies can use consumer data to shape their market strategies.
‘There was a reason why Temu targeted a lot of sponsored ads in Nigeria, because they already knew we had Jumia and Konga, but of course, they studied the complaints customers had using reviews and comments on social media. That’s why they worked on the available data and strategised based on that’, he said
The study found that Android dominates Nigeria’s smartphone market, accounting for 96 per cent of devices, while Tecno leads individual smartphone brands with a 30 per cent share.
Social media and messaging platforms also recorded significant penetration. WhatsApp was installed on 95 per cent of smartphones surveyed, followed by Facebook at 8 per cent and TikTok at per cent.
Fintech applications are similarly becoming embedded in consumers’ digital activities, with OPay recording 69 per cent penetration among smartphone users, followed by PalmPay at 29 per cent.t
The study also highlighted the growing use of smartphones beyond communication and payments.
Xender emerged as the most dominant platform with a 77 per cent smartphone presence, reflecting its widespread use for file sharing, while Google Drive recorded 31 per cent penetration.
The growing awareness and use of artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT and Google Assistant, further indicate that smartphones are evolving beyond communication devices into platforms for work, learning, and digital productivity.
Ernest Ezenna, Business Development Director, Orange Group Nigeria, stated that Nigeria’s digital transformation is being driven by its young population, improving internet connectivity and increasing smartphone affordability.
Adetola Adesanoye, Research Lead, Orange Group Nigeria, said the first edition of the study was launched in 2019 to provide insights into smartphone ownership and usage, with plans to conduct it biennially across multiple cities.
She said the survey process was designed to verify the accuracy of respondents’ answers.
‘We verified that the respondents actually had this apps on their phones, and it was not just a mere response, so every detail was confirmed’, Adesanoye said
Looking ahead, the findings suggest that as smartphone adoption expands, businesses will need to align their digital services with changing consumer preferences, affordability and application usage patterns to participate in Nigeria’s growing mobile economy.