E-Business
Collaborative Action Needed to Boost Digitalisation in Nigeria and Support Economic Growth
In the face of serious economic and developmental challenges, the Nigerian Government through the Strategic Blueprint of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy has identified digitalisation as a key enabler to stabilise and strengthen the macroeconomic environment.
L-R: Juergen Peschel, Chief Executive Officer, 9Mobile; Dr. Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation, & Digital Economy; Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission; Gbenga Adebayo, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON); Bella Disu, Executive Vice Chairperson, Globacom; Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer, MTN; Angela Wamola, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, GSM Association (GSMA); Ibrahim Dikko, Chief Executive Officer, Backbone Connectivity Networks Nig. Ltd.; at the GSMA Nigeria Digital Economy Report launch in Abuja on May 9 2024.
It is pursuing structural reforms, creating an environment conducive to private and public sector growth and job creation, while concurrently recognising the need to diversify away from the reliance on the oil and extractives sector. This shift towards diversification underscores the digital sector’s significant role in steering Nigeria towards a more resilient and dynamic economic future.
The largest contribution of the digital sector to Nigeria’s overall GDP is through the impact digitalisation has on the productivity of other sectors. For example, in the short-term, measures such as cash transfers to citizens can be done more quickly and efficiently using mobile money payment platforms. Digital technologies also boost productivity in the agricultural sector through increased use of agricultural inputs, better storage facilities and more coordinated support across agencies with the use of digital technologies to communicate and support small-scale farmers.
It is estimated that, in 2023, the telecoms sector was contributing 13.5% to the GDP of Nigeria. Considering the direct and indirect contribution of the mobile ecosystem, as well as the productivity impact throughout the economy, the telecom sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s overall economic activity is much greater, estimated at 33 trillion NGN in 2023, with 2.4 trillion NGN in tax revenue contributions.
The GSMA today published its latest report ‘The role of mobile technology in driving the digital economy in Nigeria’ which addresses the challenges hindering the growth and development of the telecommunications industry and the crucial role of the mobile sector in Nigeria’s economic development. Connectivity to mobile services, including Mobile Money is the foundation on which digitalisation is built. The Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are committed to investing to support the realisation of the digitalisation ambitions that will unlock economic growth and development in the country.
Navigating a complex operating environment
To unlock these economic opportunities, connectivity and mobile financial services are crucial foundations. The GSMA’s report emphasises that while 29% of Nigerians are regularly using mobile internet, there remains untapped potential, as 71% are not accessing these services on a regular basis. An improved policy environment has the potential to help the industry boost coverage and adoption, resulting in 15 million additional internet users by 2028. However, the sector faces challenges to infrastructure deployment.
These include:
- Complex and costly process of securing Rights of Way (RoW) significantly increases the time and costs associated with rolling out infrastructure.
- The complex tax environment in Nigeria, providing for high and increasing costs of tax compliance because of the complex and overlapping tax structure within the country.
- Increasing costs are making it difficult for the industry to maintain sustainable levels of investment. The primary driver of this has been increases in the cost of power for sites due to the rapid increases in the price of fuel, increased government fees and levies, and increased demand for forex, in an import-dependent environment, due to contractual obligations for network infrastructure and services that are denominated in USD.
Transforming Nigeria into a digital economy
An enabling policy and regulatory framework will be critical to realising the full potential of Nigeria’s digital transformation, as recognised in Nigeria’s Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027 as well as the Federal Ministry’s National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria (NBAN). Without universal access to digital connectivity, a broader digital transformation of the Nigerian economy is not possible.
It is clear that the mobile industry is a key partner for the government in achieving its objectives and can contribute to some of the key elements of the government’s plan. The value of this contribution can significantly increase with the necessary support from government required to overcome the obstacles outlined above.
To this end, the report recommends initiatives to support policymakers in creating an economic and regulatory environment that supports growth, investment, and competition.
These include implementing a legal framework for Critical National Infrastructure to address challenges in building network infrastructure; simplifying and improving the process for issuing RoW and standardising it across the country; reducing the industry’s tax burden to help cut operating costs; and creating a regulatory environment that supports sustainable investment.
Angela Wamola, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at the GSMA, said: “High-speed connectivity is the bedrock of any digital nation, and the Nigerian government recognises the mobile industry’s role in laying key foundations on which digital transformation is built.
“Future policies should be geared towards reducing the cost and complexity of infrastructure rollout to encourage investment and boost the adoption of mobile broadband.
“The impact of such actions would go far beyond mobile, driving productivity gains across the economy and creating millions of new jobs in Nigeria.”
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into allegations that the confidentiality and integrity of candidates’ personal data may have been compromised by hackers.
The Commission initiated the inquiry following concerns over possible data breaches during examinations.
Preliminary findings indicate that several examination centres may not have implemented adequate technical and organizational measures to safeguard candidates’ personal information, as required under data protection regulations.
Although the incident reportedly affected 379, 997 candidates, the NDPC’s investigation is poised to cover a systemic audit of data processing and third parties.
It will be recalled that JAMB recently admitted that a technical error on its platform affected a total of 379,997 candidates in 157 examination centres across Lagos and the South-East.
Further investigation led to the arrest of at least 20 suspects who are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police Force.
Cyber security firm, Kaspersky, has once again warned that sophisticated cybercriminals increasingly target Africa as ransomware and advanced persistent threats (APTs) escalate across the region.
Speaking at the company’s annual Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, the cybersecurity firm’s Global Research and Analysis Team highlighted growing digital threats affecting African nations.
Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa emerged as hotspots, with Kenya recording one of the highest web threat incident rates at 20.1% in first quarter 2025.
“While ransomware is less prevalent in Africa due to lower levels of digitisation and economic constraints, countries like South Africa and Nigeria are seeing a sharp rise in attacks,” said Sergey Lozhkin, head of META and APAC regions at Kaspersky.
Kaspersky noted a 0.01 percentage point increase in African ransomware cases year-on-year, reaching 0.41%, still below global and Middle Eastern averages, but a troubling sign for the continent’s emerging digital infrastructure.
Experts warned that attackers are refining their tactics, shifting focus to unconventional entry points like IoT devices, smart appliances, and misconfigured hardware.
“As these economies expand digitally, sectors such as manufacturing, finance and government are becoming key targets,” said Lozhkin
The cyber-crime landscape is evolving quickly, fuelled by AI tools and dark web access to large language models, which enable less skilled actors to launch convincing phishing and malware campaigns.
Groups like FunkSec, which uses AI-generated code and a low-cost ransom model, are redefining ransomware operations.
“African organisations face the dual challenge of expanding digital footprints and limited cybersecurity awareness. This makes layered defense strategies, including network segmentation, real-time monitoring and regular staff training, essential,” stated Lozhkin
Kaspersky continues to monitor 25 active APT groups in the META region, including SideWinder and MuddyWater, some of which are known to target African institutions.
To bolster defenses, the firm recommends using tools such as its free Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business and the Kaspersky Next suite for threat visibility and response.
Nigeria recently launched a new joint case team to step up its response to cybercrimes that affect people and businesses at home and abroad.
The ‘Joint Case Team on Cybercrime’ brings together Nigeria’s key justice and security agencies to work as one, making it easier to detect, investigate, and prosecute digital offences.
It is supported by the UK National Crime Agency, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Commonwealth Secretariat, as part of a wider effort to promote international cooperation on cybercrime.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, minister of justice and attorney general of the federation described the initiative as “a bold and transformative stride in Nigeria’s justice system.”
He said that although Nigeria has a national legal framework to address cyber offences, laws alone are not enough.
Nigeria is among the countries most affected by cybercrime around the world, with increasing financial losses.
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