By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Only 33 million Nigerians are active on social media or 15.8 per cent of the 208.8 population, according to Digital Reports 2021, which show that the most visited sites in the country are Google, Bet9ja, and Facebook.
The report provides the latest statistics on the internet, mobile, and social media use in Nigeria, a country fast adopting new technology as internet usage skyrockets.
The internet has become part of everyday life not just in Nigeria, but all over the world. There are 7.8 billion people in the world; 53.6 per cent (4.20 billion) of the population are active on social media while 4.66 billion people use the internet.
Nairametrics explains that Nigerian youths fuel this internet adoption as they are the largest consumers of the internet and technology services.
There is a huge opportunity to help new users engage with technology as the internet has proven beneficial to both new users and the key industry players that facilitate that connection.
Internet use
Digital Reports 2021 shows that in a country with a population of 208.8 million, only 33 million are active on social media, or 15.8 per cent of the population.
There are 104.4 million internet users in Nigeria, with a 22.2 per cent increase in the number of social media users, according to the report.
It found that Nigerians spend an average of 3 hours, 41 minutes using social media and 4 hours, 55 minutes using mobile internet in a day.
Nairaland, Lindaikejiblog in top 10
Nigerians spend a great deal of time online via phones or laptops. While most users spend time on different apps, others are busy on the web.
The most visited site in Nigeria is Google with a total visit of 220 million. Users spend an average of 18 minutes, 14 seconds on google.
Next on the list is Nigeria’s Bet9ja with a total visit of 86.1 million with an average time of 25 minutes and 58 seconds.
The top 10 most visited sites are
Smart home devices
Nigerians are fast adapting to digital trends in the world and one of such is the smart home devices. A lot of people have found ways to make their lives easier.
According to the report, over 1.24 million homes have smart home devices. These homes spend an average of $87 on their smart home devices.
Top 10 most used social media
Social media plays an essential role in the lives of people. In recent years, a large number of Nigerians have adopted various social media platforms as a way to express themselves.
WhatsApp is the most active social media platform in the country with over 93 per cent of users, according to the report, quoted by Nairametrics.
The second is Facebook at 86.2 per cent, YouTube is third at 81.6 per cent, followed by Instagram at 73.1 per cent, and Facebook messenger at 67.2 per cent.
· YOUTUBE
· FACEBOOK MESSENGER
· TELEGRAM
· TIKTOK
· SNAPCHAT
Digital payment
The report shows that there are 64.69 million people making digitally enabled payment transactions. Some 9.14 million people use an online food delivery service to order food, 1.85 million used a ride-hailing service.
In 2020, a total $233.9 million was spent on digital ads with $128.1 million spent on search ads, $62.16 million spent on social media ads.
e-Commerce use
A rising number of Nigerians have adopted e-commerce services – the largest product segments in accommodation, fashion, electronics, food.
The consumer goods e-commerce market is valued at $4.95 billion. The number of people purchasing consumer goods via the internet is 64.69 million with an average annual spend of $77 per user.
Nigeria has improved greatly in terms of internet adoption, but there is still a wide gap to be filled.