The Global Connectivity Index (GCI) for 2019 published by technology company Huawei has ranked Nigeria eighth in Africa for 4G coverage.
Despite somewhat ranking high continentally, Nigeria ranked 75th globally on a list that included just 79 countries.
The index is based on 40 different indicators, including IT infrastructure, digital transformation and competitiveness, and potential growth.
Nigeria earned a score of 27 out of 120 points, scoring below the global average of 51.08 points.
“Nigeria is on the cusp of great progress in ICT. Startup hubs are sprouting up across the nation with huge investments being made in new capacity. More Nigerians now have access to telecommunications services and the government is exploring and exploiting the economic potential of the ICT sector. ,” says the report.
“Mobile broadband subscriptions saw a 2-point improvement, as did smartphone penetration, despite broadband becoming less affordable this year. Internet usage also expanded over last year,” according to the index.
The document also suggests that *Nigeria needs to focus on its infrastructure establishment. Reliable and affordable broadband for businesses and homes are critical for future stages of ICT use”
The report states that South Africa has the best 4G connectivity in Africa and the 52nd globally. Egypt ranked second in Best 4G Coverage in Africa (58th globally), followed by Morocco and Algeria (68th), Botswana (70th), Ghana (71th), Kenya (72nd), Namibia (74th), Tanzania (77th), Uganda (78th), and Ethiopia (79th).
On the global scale, the report ranks the United States first, followed by Switzerland , Sweden, Singapore, and Denmark.
