According to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, as of January 2024, 5G deployment in Nigeria reached 1.11% of total connections.
According to data obtained from the website on Tuesday, 5G recorded a slight increase from the 1.04% recorded in December 2023.
Despite this modest increase, the overall pace of 5G growth in the country remains slow, highlighting the complexities involved in transitioning to next-generation networks.
However, data shows that 2G contracts continue to dominate, accounting for 57.78 percent of connections in January 2024.
4G contracts rose from 31.33% in December 2023 to 31.75% in January 2024.
In 2022, the telecom regulator issued 5G licenses to successful bidders in the 3.5GHz band. Since then, several telcos that have obtained 5G licenses have rolled out networks in Nigeria.
MTN Nigeria led the commercial launch of 5G activities in September 2022, followed by Mafab Communications and Airtel Nigeria in January and June 2023, respectively.
5G deployment has begun in several major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.
Experts said 5G penetration in Nigeria remains low due to challenges such as high cost of equipment, routers and devices and inadequate infrastructure.
Chairman of the Telecommunications Companies Association of Nigeria, Tony Izuagbe, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the rollout of 5G technology requires more infrastructure and improved connectivity between infrastructures.
“There is enthusiasm for 5G. Awareness is widespread and carriers are receiving a lot of requests,” he said.
“However, whether more people move to 5G will depend on the infrastructure available. You know it’s a supply and demand factor,” he said.
In response to these challenges, the Nigerian government has introduced a National 5G Policy aimed at ensuring the effective deployment of 5G to cover major urban areas by 2025.
While launching the policy, former President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) said: “The national policy includes a rollout plan to ensure major cities across the country benefit from 5G technology.
“We also aim to make 5G a key driver of our economy, a catalyst for smart cities in the country, and a job creation platform that supports our digital economy.”
The International Telecommunication Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations, recently revealed that Africa has the lowest 5G penetration rate globally, at just 6% as of December 2023.
This is partly due to the continued importance of older mobile technologies, particularly 2G and 3G networks, across the continent.
The ITU report highlights the deep-rooted dependence on 2G and 3G networks in many African countries, including Nigeria, and that these technologies will continue to expand, especially to 4G and 5G networks. provides a cost-effective means of delivering critical mobile services in areas where access is lacking.
