Telecom
Nigeria among Countries Most Skeptical about 5G- Report
5G seems to be coming to every town and city at a very fast rate, but with this rapid growth comes worries and misunderstandings for some individuals.
Interested in finding out which countries in the world are most sceptical about 5G, Prolifics Testing conducted thorough research into the online searches surrounding the topic within different countries.
The Research
To find out the area most suspicious or confused about 5G, we analysed online search data from Ahrefs and found the most common search terms are: ‘Is 5G Dangerous?’, ‘Does 5G have health risks?’, and even ‘Does 5G spread coronavirus?’, despite WHO carrying out extensive research and concluding no adverse health effects had been established.
We then used Ahrefs to discover how many times each question was searched on average each month in different areas to deduce which country is the most sceptical or curious about the new technology.
The Countries Most Suspicious about 5G
With many companies integrating 5G into their development process, it’s safe to say that this telecommunications technology is here to stay. Let’s take a look at which countries are most dubious about this advancement…
Coming in at number one in our rankings of the countries who are most sceptical about 5G is the United States, with a staggering 374,700 searches per month. This is four times more than the United Kingdom which takes second place, where natives searched for questions like ‘Is 5G safe?’ 93,400 times per month. Perhaps this steep drop can be down to the BBC calming some of the citizen’s fears.
Sitting at number three is Australia with residents questioning the implications of 5G 32,970 times a month, on average. Spots four, five and six go to Canada, Poland and Germany, with each country researching 5G 22,680, 20,510 and 17,550 times, respectively.
The Netherlands is hot on the heels of Germany, taking seventh place, as 16,520 incidences of residents searching the effects of 5G are recorded each month, on average.
In 20th place is Denmark, with the Nordic country making just 1,410 searches on average each month regarding 5G. Residents in Austria and Mexico don’t seem too worried about 5G either, with just 1,570 and 1,970 searches asking questions about 5G.
Which Countries Search for ‘5G’ the Most?
Taking our analysis of searches even further, we looked at the countries simply searching for the word ‘5G’ on Google.
We suspect users searching for this term will either be finding out more about the technology, learning about the benefits, or generally researching potential risks as a result of misinformation spread online.
Topping the list once again is the United States, as citizens search for ‘5G’ 314,000 times per month, on average. In second place is Poland, as our analysis shows that 130,900 searches are made each month, on average – 183,100 less than the US.
In third place is the United Kingdom, as UK nationals Google ‘5G’ 120,000 times per month, on average. Not as high as the USA, but still conveying an interest in wireless technology.
New Zealand residents make just 8,650 searches per month on average – 305,350 less searches than the US in first place! Belgium places in second (but still quite a jump from New Zealand), as Belgians search for ‘5G’ 13,200 times on average per month.
Furthermore, our research found that Danes Google ‘5G’ just 300 more times than Belgium, making 13,500 searches in total per month, on average.
Which Countries Ask ‘What is 5G?’ Most?
Whereas the search term ‘5G’ could be interpreted in a number of ways, the question ‘what is 5G?’ shows a pretty clear intent: to find out exactly what the technology is.
Unsurprisingly, the United States comesup trumps again, as the country searches ‘what is 5G?’ 127,400 times per month, on average.
Another regular visitor to the top three is the United Kingdom, which places in second. Our analysis found ‘What is 5G?’ is typed into Google 24,200 times on average each month. That’s a sizable decrease from the US – 103,200 less searches, in fact.
In third place is Canada as, unlike its neighbour the United States, only searched ‘What is 5G?’ 15,100 times on average per month – 122,300 less. This is over 88% lower than the searches made by people in the US.
The countries that are not so bothered about questioning what 5G is and how it works are the Netherlands and Denmark are tied. With equal searches, these two Nordic countries searched ‘what is 5G?’ 1,000 times per month on average.
Ireland made 130 more searches than the Netherlands and Denmark, as residents make an average of 1,140 searches a month on Google. This could either indicate that Irish citizens already know the answer, or are not as suspicious of 5G as other countries when it comes to the effects of the technology.
Our Methodology:
- Interested in 5G, Prolifics Testing utilised online analytics tool Ahrefs to discover which countries in the world are most sceptical about 5G.
- To achieve this, Prolifics Testing analysed general online search data from Ahrefs to establish the sceptical online searches internet users are most making about 5G and found these to be the most common ones:
Is 5G dangerous?
Does 5G have health risks?
Is 5G safe?
Is 5G harmful?
Does 5G cause/spread coronavirus (Covid19)?
Once the most common sceptical online searches in relation to 5G were found, Prolifics Testing utilised Ahrefs ‘keyword explorer tool’ for Google and found out how many times on average per month each sceptical 5G question was searched online in each of the countries analysed in the research. The search volumes for each of the identified top sceptical 5G questions were then added together to represent the overall monthly average sceptical online searches made about 5G in each of the respective countries reviewed.
- When analysing the data, each of the most common sceptical 5G online searches were evaluated in English as well as each country’s respective primary language (where applicable) to increase the reliability of results.
- The online search volume data used for each respective country in the research represents average monthly online searches.
- From the Ahrefs database, 155 countries from across six continents were individually assessed for the sceptical 5G online searches research.
News
NITDA Communications Director Hadiza Umar Named in 2026 PR Power List, Graces Glazia Magazine Cover
Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Director of the Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has been officially recognised as one of Nigeria’s top public relations professionals in the prestigious 2026 PR Power List.
The definitive annual list, compiled by GLG Communications in partnership with The Guardian, was unveiled to commemorate World PR Day.
It celebrates 50 outstanding professionals within Nigeria and the diaspora whose strategic communication strategies have significantly shaped organisations, influenced public discourse, and advanced the profession over the past 12 months.
Adding to the momentous milestone, Mrs. Umar was hit with a major surprise at the exclusive PR Power List Soirée and Awards ceremony held at the Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos, where she was unveiled as a front-cover personality for the Glazia Magazine PR Power List Special Issue.
The double recognition highlights her exceptional distinction and impact in public sector communications and narrative management.
Speaking on the dual achievement, Mrs. Umar expressed profound gratitude for the honours, describing the magazine cover appearance as a breathtaking surprise.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to be recognized on the 2026 PR Power List and to feature on the cover of Glazia Magazine alongside other exceptional industry titans,” Umar said.
“This milestone is a testament to the enabling environment and visionary leadership of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, which has allowed us to strategically drive the narrative of Nigeria’s digital economy and technological innovation.”
Mrs. Umar, a highly respected corporate communications strategist, holds professional fellowships in the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (Chartered), the African Public Relations Association (APRA), and the Institute of Corporate Administration (CICA).
Under her supervisory role, NITDA’s media relations have consistently projected national information technology frameworks, start-up support frameworks, and digital literacy initiatives, to position Nigeria competitively on the global stage.
The 2026 PR Power List selection process involved a rigorous, independent evaluation led by a distinguished international jury.
The organisers noted that the class of 2026 represents professionals raising the standard of strategic communications and introducing new ideas to the industry.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
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