Telecom
5G Remains a Pretty Distant Dream for Majority of Africa’s Mobile Users – Report
In 2020, 3G will still be more popular than 5G. That’s according to mobile analytics company Opensignal in its mobile network experience predictions for next year.
“In the world of telecoms, 2019 will probably be remembered as the year 5G got serious, going from a few initial test networks to reach millions of users in dozens of markets worldwide,” says Peter Boyland, senior analyst at Opensignal.
“So, what can we expect from the next generation, and the rest of the mobile world, in 2020? We’ve had a look into our crystal ball to bring you our top predictions for the coming year,” he says.
Opensignal’s data shows that 27.2% of its global user base has never connected to 4G and instead relies on 3G.
“And this is not just in emerging markets,” Boland says. “Our recent analysis in Germany found that up to half of users don’t connect to 4G networks. 5G adoption is moving too slowly to overtake 3G adoption in just one year, anywhere in the world.”
Distant dream for Africa
Speaking about the African market, Boyland says: “Even in the most advanced African markets, we rarely see 4G availability scores over the 80% mark, meaning that the priority for most operators on the continent remains the roll-out of their 4G networks.
“Nonetheless, some operators in more mature markets, such as MTN in South Africa, are preparing to test 5G networks – suggesting we could see a commercial launch in a major city on the continent as early as 2020. But for the vast majority of Africa’s mobile users, 5G remains a pretty distant dream.”
“As a general rule, we see many more 3G users in less developed countries, where operators are still rolling out 4G networks, while more advanced countries in Europe, Asia and North America have much higher proportion of 4G users,” Boyland says.
“However, in some countries like Germany, for example, they stand out with one of the highest proportions of 3G users – out of our user base – compared to the other developed countries.”
Opensignal’s analysis shows that South Korea is currently leading in terms of 5G subscribers and devices, but it is seeing some of the fastest speeds in the US.
Boyland explains this is a result of widespread US launches using the mmWave spectrum bands, which offer blisteringly fast speeds but limited network propagation.
“The US is in dire need of lower bandwidth spectrum to accelerate 5G coverage, and this issue with spectrum availability is likely to be an ongoing theme globally as 5G becomes more ubiquitous.”
Full experience
Opensignal also predicts 4G will remain an essential foundation for 5G services in 2020.
The mobile analytics firm recently found just 1% of speed tests its US users conducted from 5G New Radio (5G NR) enabled devices used an active 5G connection, compared with 20% of speed tests conducted in early 5G leader South Korea.
Much like the issue with non-standalone 5G networks, this means the user is not getting the full 5G experience, and this issue will continue in 2020 unless more 5G NR devices become available, it says.
The firm also believes spectrum availability will have a huge impact on the 5G experience.
“Our analysis shows that the frequencies used for 4G can have a strong impact on the mobile network experience,” Boyland says.
He points out the majority of early 5G launches have utilised mid-band spectrum, in the two 2GHz to 4GHz ranges.
These bands are ideal for urban roll-out, offering a good mix of data capacity, range and in-building penetration.
“But in some markets, particularly the US, availability of this spectrum is scarce, meaning operators are using higher mmWave bands. Markets using mmWave bands will struggle to offer wide coverage for 5G. Unless both mid-band spectrum and mmWave spectrum is available, the 5G experience will be incomplete,” Boyland says.
Easing congestion
Opensignal also predicts that using 5G to ease congestion on 4G networks will become a key operator use case come next year.
It points out current 5G networks have limited reach, meaning the vast majority of users are still relying heavily on 4G.
“And as data demand continues to rise, we are seeing signs of increased congestion on 4G networks. As 5G networks become more ubiquitous and devices more widespread, operators will look to move their heavy data users onto 5G, to improve the mobile network experience on 4G,” Boyland says.
“The 5G experience will depend on the type of spectrum used. Consumers connecting to 5G on low-band spectrum will not have a dramatically better experience than 4G, but consumers will still see 5G in their phone’s status bar.
“Those using mmWave will see extremely fast speeds, but very little coverage. But all kinds of network experience will be called 5G,” he concludes.
Olugbenga Agboola, Flutterwave CEO has joined a $22 million funding extension for Nigerian defensetech start-up Terra Industries as Africa’s fast-growing drone and security technology sector begins to attract capital far beyond traditional venture circles.
The round was led by Lux Capital, with participation from Agboola through Resilience17 Capital and returning investors including 8VC and Nova Global.
It follows an $11.75 million raise just weeks earlier, bringing Terra’s total funding to $34 million as the company accelerates expansion into high-risk security markets.
Terra, founded in 2024 by 24-year-old chief engineer Maxwell Maduka and CEO Nathan Nwachuku, builds autonomous drones and surveillance systems designed to protect critical infrastructure such as energy facilities, logistics corridors and industrial sites. The startup says it is already safeguarding assets worth billions of dollars while securing early federal and commercial contracts.
Agboola’s involvement highlights a broader shift in African tech investment patterns. While fintech has long dominated venture flows, escalating infrastructure sabotage and terrorism threats have elevated demand for locally developed security hardware.
“Nigeria’s drone ecosystem is rapidly evolving from hobbyist and mapping use cases toward industrial monitoring, border surveillance and energy protection, areas increasingly seen as foundational to economic stability.
“This is about backing infrastructure security at scale. Africa’s growth depends on resilient systems that protect critical assets,” said Agboola.
Terra CEO Nwachuku is adamant that locally engineered systems are better suited to African operating conditions. “We are building tools designed for the realities on the ground. Security technology should not always be imported when local innovation can respond faster and more effectively,” he stated.
Lux Capital partner Brandon Reeves underlined that the investor appetite, which has drawn fintech heavyweight interest such as Agboola, reflects rising cross-sector confidence in African defense technology as a commercial category. “Security is a prerequisite for economic growth,” he said.
“As Terra ramps production and expands regionally, its funding milestone illustrates a wider transformation. Drone and autonomous security platforms are no longer peripheral experiments but emerging pillars in Africa’s technology landscape, where fintech leaders and venture capital converge around safeguarding the infrastructure powering the continent’s next growth phase,” said Reeves
Temu, the global e-commerce platform expanding in Nigeria, has officially addressed an inquiry from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) over alleged data privacy violations, confirming its commitment to compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
Temu
The company’s response follows NDPC’s investigation into Temu’s data processing practices.
In a statement to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, Temu stressed its dedication to local and international data protection standards, noting ongoing communication with the regulator. “At Temu, protecting user privacy and data security is a top priority. We are committed to complying with applicable laws and regulations in our data practices,” the statement read.
Temu further affirmed: “We can confirm that Temu has received the inquiry and is engaging with the Commission. We will continue to engage in open and constructive dialogue with the NDPC to address any questions or concerns.”
Under Dr. Vincent Olatunji’s leadership, NDPC has ramped up scrutiny of foreign digital platforms to safeguard Nigerian citizens’ personal data—from contact details to financial information—ensuring transparent and secure handling. For e-commerce giants like Temu, managing vast consumer data volumes demands strict regulatory alignment to sustain operations and trust in Africa’s biggest economy.
Industry observers view Temu’s proactive stance as a savvy bid to ease tensions, mirroring Nigeria’s firm handling of platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and fintechs. This engagement underscores NDPC’s rising clout, compelling investors and foreign entrants to prioritise data compliance costs.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek sees Temu’s approach as a model for global retailers eyeing Nigeria’s booming digital retail sector through 2026.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has deployed WorkflowPro as its official platform for the digital submission and management of correspondence.
NIMC
Kayode Adegoke Phd, Head, Cooperate Communications of NIMC said this in a press statement on Tuesday, 17th February, 2026, pointing out that this was “In furtherance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s commitment to institutionalizing a paperless public service.”
According to the statement, “The adoption of WorkflowPro marks NIMC’s formal transition to a paperless operating environment and reflects the Commission’s resolve to strengthen governance, improve administrative efficiency, and standardize records management in line with approved public sector reforms. The platform provides a secure, structured, and traceable system for managing both internal and external communications, thereby enhancing accountability and operational transparency.
“Under the new framework, all external correspondence to NIMC will be processed electronically through WorkflowPro. The system enables end-to-end tracking of submissions, accelerates internal routing and response timelines, and ensures secure electronic archiving of official records. This approach eliminates the risks associated with manual handling of documents while reinforcing compliance with established information management standards.”
Adegoke added that “The implementation of WorkflowPro is consistent with the Federal Government’s Enterprise Content Management (ECM) policy, which mandates the digitization of official records and the elimination of physical file movements across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) .
“Accordingly, all external correspondence addressed to the National Identity Management Commission must be submitted via the NIMC WorkflowPro platform, accessible through the official portal link or by scanning the designated QR code:
Portal Link:https://workflowpro-nimc.com/Submit . Correspondence
To support effective implementation, NIMC has approved a 30-day transition period from the date of this announcement, during which stakeholders are expected to acquaint themselves with the new process. Upon the expiration of this period, the Commission will discontinue the acceptance of manually submitted letters and paper-based correspondence.
“WorkflowPro was developed by NIMC’s in-house technical team under the directive of the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Odusote. The platform forms part of a broader institutional reform agenda aimed at strengthening the security of official communications, reducing administrative delays, and entrenching digital governance within the public service.
“The National Identity Management Commission enjoins all stakeholders to take note of this policy directive and ensure full compliance.”
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