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Nigeria Still World’s Most Mobilized Country, Traffic Hits 81%- Twinpine

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Nigeria has retained its position as world’s most mobilized country, a new report released by Twinpine has shown.

The Twinpine’s 2017 “Nigeria Mobile Trends Report”, shows Nigeria gained 5% from the previous report in its mobile traffic.

Recall in a similar report in 2016, Nigeria was placed ahead as the most mobile telecommunications induced nation, with 76% of the internet traffic comes through mobile.

The latest report indicates the country maintains its lead as statistics by Worldometer, NCC, Stat Counter put the total (human) population at 192 million (estimated); 142.6 active lines mobile at 74% mobile penetration; 91.5million mobile internet users at 47% mobile  internet mobile penetration; 30% smartphone penetration; Nigeria is now head of India and South Africa with 79% and 78% internet traffic coming through mobile, respectively.

Multi-Sim Phones Usage
Nigeria is also notable as the destination for the usage of multi-sim phones in the world at 66%, followed by Bangladesh (63%) and Tanzania (53%), while India and Phillipines at the least on the table with 48% each.

Share of Desktop versus mobile traffic
In Nigeria, mobile traffic overtook desktop traffic since 2012, and has continued to dominate since then. From the study, it was established that Mobile Traffic grew from 73% in 2014 to 81% in 2017 while the Desktop Traffic decreased from 25% to 13% during the period.

Web Usage by Device Vendors
According to the report, Samsung leads “Web Usage by Device Vendor” accounting for 25% of the market; Apple (20%), Tecno (13%), Infinix (9.5%), Blackberry (9.5%), Gionee (5%), Nokia brands account for 4.5%, Microsoft (4.5%), HTC (4%) while other brands put together account for remaining unknown (7.5%).

Web Usage by OS
Android is clearly still the preferred mobile operating system used in Nigeria. Other operating systems selling in the market are iOS, RIM, Windows Phone, Nokia OS, Symbian, LG proprietary and Samsung proprietary.

Market Share by Mobile Operator as at June 2017
According to the report which reflects NCC’s statistics showing MTN accounts for 37% of the market share followed by Glo 26%, Airtel 24% and 9Mobile 13%.

Meanwhile, on the growth of Active Mobile Subscribers by Operator from 2014 – 2017, Glo and Airtel have remained most gainers, while MTN and 9Mobile have had their subscriber base reduced over time.

According to the report, Glo grew its customer base from 28,486,530 in 2014 to 37,411,407 as at June 2017; Airtel 27,989,580 (2014) to 34,656,605 (2017); while MTN has a decline from 60,493,053 (in 2014) to 53,093,756 in 2017 (June) likewise 9Mobile from 21,559,667 in (2014) to 18,022,674 as at June 2017.

Top 5 States with Active Voice Subscription (VS)
The Twinpine report quotes the National Bureau of Statistics which identified Lagos state as leading with 20 million the highest voice subscription in Nigeria amounting to 12% of the total VS, followed by Ogun State, Kano, Oyo and Kaduna States.

Also, Lagos leads the active internet subscription but Abuja enters the top 5 in terms of states internet subscription in Nigeria.

Market Share Of Mobile Browser
Opera is still the preferred mobile; it leads the table with 53.28% of the market share; Chrome 20.18%; UC Browser 13.8%; Blackberry 3.57%; Android 2.92%; Safari 1.75%; IE Mobile 1.73%; Samsung Internet 1.05%; Puffin 0.98% and others 0.75%.

Nigerian behavioural studies hinted on the future opportunities of other sectors outside apps and entertainment in Nigeria; 48% of the people surveyed indicated that they use mLearning apps.

From the respondents, 35% have used reading app; 42%- banking app; 35%- healthcare related app; 32%- taxi/booking app and 32%- food delivery.

What online activities do Nigerians do on their smartphones & computer at least weekly?

Social Media is the most popular activity performed by Nigerians weekly on their mobile phones as 70% of the respondents use smartphones, while 9% visit social networks using destop computers; 5% use smartphone to listen to music, 1.5% use desktop; 2% look up for maps on smartphone; 9% use smartphone to search for product information while 3% use desktops; only 3% use smartphone to make online purchases; 19% use smartphone to watch online videos, 7% use desktops; 5% play games on smartphones, only 2% use desktops; 28% check their mails on smartphone, 8% use desktop computers; 37% use smartphone to visit search engines, while 7% resort to desktops.

mCommerce 
63% of all M-Commerce orders in Nigeria come from mobile. Nigerian customers who use mobile phones to shop online buy a wide range of products, the top three are: mobile phone, beauty and perfumes and women’s clothings.

Average price of smartphones have dropped significantly between 2014 and 2016, and sale of smartphones have gone up.

Average price of smartphones reduced from $165-$216 (2014) to $99-$117 in 2016; booming smartphone sales (2014-2016) recorded over 394% growth. More men at 61% shop online than women 39% in Nigeria.

Mobile Purchase Interest Of Nigerians
Fashion items (26.3%) and mobile apps (22.8%) top the list of things people buy with their mobile phones. Others are, music (15.8%); games (13.2%); Ebooks (5.3%); videos (7.9%); electronics (14%) and home appliances (14%).

Interestingly, the report shows 66.9% of Nigerians have bought an item with their mobile phone.

As 33.1% haven’t bought things using their mobile phone, 38.7% cited fear of buying fake items as the major reason; 7.5% delivery delays; slow internet 7.5%, delivery changes account for the remaining percentage.

However, 58.5% of Nigerians have paid for a mobile app before, though Nigerians are not too keen on in-app purchases, only 42.6% have made an in-app purchase.

Main Reasons Why Nigerians Uninstall Apps
Large size (28%) and too many notifications (17.5%) top the chart of reasons Nigerian uninstall apps. Other reasons are, too slow (9%); too complex (7.9%); too many ads (15.9%); privacy (11.1%) and not the expected value (10.6%).

Mobile Money
71.5% of Nigerians, the report says, use a mobile banking app. Out of the number, 12.7% use it as option for saving money; 63.6% for money transfer; 42.7% to check balance; 36.4% pay bills with mobile money apps; 47.3% for airtime purchases and 17.3% don’t use mobile apps.

Payments Made Directly To Mobile Phone Bill
Nigeria tops the chart with carrier billing (paying for items directly from the phone bill) at 42%. Twinpine quoting Mobile Money Report, MEF 2017 report said that 9% of Nigerians have made an in-store mobile payment; increasing from its previous value of 6% in 2014.

Also, average monthly transactions in mobile grew from a transaction value of 5millionUSD in 2011 to 142.8millionUSD in 2016, according to KPMG Fintech in Nigeria Report, 2016.

Number of transactions performed using the USSD service has more than doubled the number of transactions on mobile banking platforms for banks offering USSD- Mobile Money Report, MEF 2017.

Mobile Video
Many Nigerians prefer to watch short online videos, especially when via smartphones as 29% prefer to watch short online videos via their smartphone.

The report also shows the frequency at which online videos are watched shows that 27% of Nigerian watch videos online daily; 25% weekly; 12% less than monthly; 12% monthly and 23% never watched videos online.

“Last year, we released our 2016 Mobile Trends Report which highlighted key stats and analysis of the Nigerian mobile space to celebrate our 5th Anniversary.

“This year, the Nigerian economy has taken a different turn and as a result, there has been a significant shift in the market trends and behaviour of end users. This report which is downloadable via http://twinpinenetwork.com/2017-nigeria-mobile-trend-report/, serves as a mobile trend and advertising behaviour guide for marketers to find effective ways to continually deliver maximum ROI,” said Chika Umeh, Insight Lead, Twinpine in an email to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek.

 


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Visa Launches Report on Digital Payment Landscape in Nigeria, Shows Positive Outlook

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Visa, a global leader in payments, today announced the launch of a new report, ‘Value of Acceptance: Understanding the Digital Payment Landscape in Nigeria,’ which highlights substantial growth potential for digital payments, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

In Nigeria, digital payments are proving beneficial for surveyed SMEs, with nearly 90% believing that it boosts revenue and customer footfall. This growing confidence in digital transactions, especially cards, is coupled with a desire for further digitization, with 76% of cash-only SMEs planning to invest in new payment technologies.

The study also reveals that more than half of merchants already prefer digital payments, with 44% reporting lost sales due to customers’ lack of cash and 62% expressing concerns over fraud risk associated with cash.

Nigeria’s Digital Payments Momentum

An overwhelmingly positive outlook on digital payment investment emerged in the report, with 83% of merchants surveyed seeing this as a crucial component for growth, boosting sales, reducing fraud, and enhancing convenience among customers,
“Nigeria’s digital payments landscape is rapidly evolving, with a growing inclination towards digital transactions,” stated Andrew Uaboi, Vice President & Head, Visa West Africa.

“This transformation not only holds the promise of bolstering SMEs prosperity but can also help the economy to thrive.

“At Visa, we look forward to working together with our partners to further drive this transformation, enabling individuals, merchants, and businesses to grow and participate in the digital economy.”

Addressing Challenges to Unlock Full Potential

Unlocking digital payments’ full potential in Nigeria will require confronting key challenges. There is an overarching need to enhance financial literacy and raise awareness about the benefits of digital payments while also incentivizing their usage among customers.

With 76% of cash-only SMEs surveyed intending to get a point-of-sale (POS) device in the near future, an opportunity emerges to accelerate adoption through simplifying onboarding.

In addition, improving infrastructure to counteract concerns around payments failures (42%) can enhance confidence in digitization. To address fraud concerns, educational campaigns are vital to highlighting the robust security features of digital payments, especially the lower fraud risk associated with card payments.

Visa’s established cybersecurity capabilities can be instrumental to building trust across the digital payments landscape in Nigeria by helping to harness confidence across both the SME and consumer segments.

The Broader Value of Digital Payment Acceptance

Digital payments are crucial for Nigerian SMEs for a number of reasons including – boosting revenue through an increasingly cashless customer base, improving customer satisfaction with faster payments, and reducing operational risks by minimizing cash handling. Digital transaction records also provide valuable data that facilitate access to financing and stimulate growth.

While cash is still seen as quick and convenient, cards offer an advantage across expense tracking, spending encouragement, and enhanced security. Meanwhile, mobile and digital wallets offer an innovative and competitive edge. Promoting the adoption of preferred methods, particularly card payments, is crucial for driving growth.

Beyond direct benefits, digital payment adoption drives economic growth and financial inclusion, by connecting the unbanked to the formal financial system and enabling access to savings, credit, and insurance.

Research shows that the transition to the digital economy can generate 1-2% annual GDP growth; a mere 1% increase in card usage generates an average $67 billion annual increase in goods and services consumption across 70 countries and territories.

Visa: A Partner in Driving Digital Payment Adoption

Visa is uniquely positioned to support Nigeria’s transition to a more digital economy. As a trusted advisor and partner, Visa offers a range of capabilities to help governments, financial institutions, businesses, and technology providers enhance their digital payment acceptance maturity.

Visa’s suite of solutions includes programs for specific merchant segments, innovations like Tap to Phone, Contactless Payments and Click to Pay, and resources educating businesses about the benefits of digital payments.

About the Visa Value of Acceptance report

Visa’s ‘Value of Acceptance: Understanding the Digital Payment Landscape in Nigeria’ report, conducted by 4Sight Research & Analytics, examines the current state of digital payment acceptance, exploring both opportunities and challenges. The findings are based on face-to-face interviews with 250 SME owners/managers who are key decision-makers with respect to day-to-day business decisions.


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Gombe Commissioner of Police Visits GBB Command Centre, Strengthens Collaboration on ICT-Driven Security Solutions

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L-r : Ibrahim Bello, Regional Coordinator, North East, Galaxy Backbone(GBB) Limited, CP Bello Yahaya, Commissioner of Police, Gombe State. During the tour of GBB's state of the art Safe City, Command Centre in Gombe.
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Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Limited welcomed the newly appointed Commissioner of Police for Gombe State, CP Bello Yahaya, on a courtesy visit to its North East Regional Office and Safe City Emergency Command Centre.

This visit underscored the growing synergy between law enforcement and technology-driven solutions in strengthening security operations and fostering digital transformation in the region.

During the visit, CP Bello Yahaya was received by Mr. Ibrahim Bello, Regional Coordinator of GBB North East Regional Office, alongside key members of the GBB team.

The engagement provided a platform to explore strategic collaborations aimed at enhancing security infrastructure, digital transformation, and capacity-building initiatives for the Gombe State Police Command.

The Commissioner was taken on a guided tour of the Safe City Emergency Command Centre, a state-of-the-art facility that forms a critical part of the National Information and Communications Technology Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) project.

The centre plays a pivotal role in improving security architecture across Gombe State and the North East region, leveraging cutting-edge surveillance systems, real-time monitoring tools, and integrated emergency response mechanisms.

With its advanced Unified Communications System, security analytics, and digital emergency response coordination, the Safe City Command Centre provides law enforcement with real-time intelligence, proactive threat detection, and seamless inter-agency collaboration, enabling a more effective and responsive approach to public safety.

CP Bello Yahaya expressed keen interest in leveraging ICT solutions to strengthen policing efforts, emphasizing the importance of technology in modern crime prevention, data-driven policing, and crisis management.

He highlighted the need for enhanced digital transformation, improved connectivity, and expanded training programs to equip officers with the necessary skills to operate effectively in a digitally evolving security landscape.

Galaxy Backbone reaffirmed its commitment to supporting law enforcement agencies, government institutions, and critical stakeholders through innovative ICT solutions, secure cloud infrastructure, and digital training programs.

By providing access to high-speed connectivity, cybersecurity frameworks, and cloud-powered command centres, GBB continues to drive the adoption of smart policing solutions and enhanced security management across Nigeria.

The visit concluded with a shared commitment to deepening engagement between Galaxy Backbone and the Gombe State Police Command, focusing on optimizing digital transformation initiatives for law enforcement efficiency, expanding the scope of ICT-driven surveillance and emergency response systems and strengthening training programs for officers to enhance digital skills and operational effectiveness.

As Nigeria’s leading digital infrastructure provider, Galaxy Backbone continues to shape the future of public safety, digital governance, and cybersecurity, ensuring that law enforcement agencies have access to the best tools to protect lives and property.

 


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Salesforce Collaborates with Tech Leaders to Launch AI Energy Score for Model Efficiency

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Salesforce, in collaboration with Hugging Face, Cohere, and Carnegie Mellon University, announced the release of the AI Energy Score, a first-of-its-kind benchmarking tool that lets AI developers and users evaluate, identify, and compare the energy consumption of AI models.

Salesforce also announced it will be the first AI model developer to disclose the energy efficiency data of its proprietary models under the new framework.

The AI Energy Score aims to address the lack of transparency about the environmental impact of AI models. Similar to how ENERGY STAR transformed energy efficiency standards for appliances and electronics, this initiative establishes a clear, trusted benchmark for AI model sustainability.

“Reducing AI energy consumption lowers operational costs, optimises infrastructure, and enhances long-term sustainability and profitability. We are proud to work with industry leaders to build a more transparent AI ecosystem,” says Linda Saunders, Salesforce Country Manager and Senior Director of Solution Engineering for Africa.

The AI Energy Score will debut at the AI Action Summit, where leaders from over 100 countries, the private sector, and civil society will convene to harness AI for good. By enhancing transparency, the score can drive market preference for efficient models and incentivise sustainable AI development. Recognised by the French Government and the Paris Peace Forum for its transformative potential, the AI Energy Score features:

  • Standardised Energy Ratings: A standardised framework for measuring and comparing AI model energy efficiency.

  • Public Leaderboard: A comprehensive leaderboard that features scores for 10 common AI tasks — such as text generation, image generation, and summarisation — performed by 166 models, including Salesforce’s SFR-Embedding, xLAM, and SF-TextBase.

  • Benchmarking Portal: A platform where AI developers can submit their open or proprietary AI models to be evaluated and added to the leaderboard. Open models can be automatically tested, while closed models can be evaluated through a secured testing sandbox.

  • Recognisable Energy Use Label: A new 1- to 5-star label that rates AI model energy use, with five stars indicating the highest efficiency. This helps developers and users easily identify and choose more sustainable models. Once rated, AI developers can generate standardised labels to share their models’ energy score, with built-in guidance on the proper label display for visibility and impact.

Last year, the company introduced Agentforce, the agentic layer of the Salesforce Platform for deploying autonomous AI agents across any business function. Agentforce offers tools to build and customise agents, as well as a library of ready-to-use skills for sales, service, marketing, commerce, Tableau, Slack, and more.


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