An impressive 93% of internet users worldwide engage with social media

Key takeaways:

  • Social media is not optional; it’s universal, with 93% usage globally.
  • Traditional broadcast TV still sees 89.7% usage, and streaming TV (77.1%) isn’t far behind.
  • Individuals consume online news more than physical newspapers.
  • 66.4% still tune in to radio, showing that audio content still has a loyal base.
  • At 65.3% usage, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music are not just for entertainment; they’re part of people’s routines.
  • With 63.7% global engagement, podcasts are now a core part of modern media usage.

A whopping 93% of internet users globally are active on social media. That means almost everyone online is scrolling, sharing, or chatting on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X. Whether it’s for information, entertainment, or just to pass time, social media has become very important in the global digital life. Traditional forms of media like linear TV, print press, and radio are still hanging on, but the gap is widening fast. Online streaming, podcasts, digital news, and music apps now also hold major ground in the content landscape.

Source:

Global Web Index (GWI)

Period:

2024
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Nigeria’s top 3 ISPs — Spectranet, Starlink, and FiberOne — account for a combined 63.3% of the market
  • Spectranet leads with 111,384 subscribers, ahead of Starlink's 98,642.
  • Starlink added 6,651 subscribers since December 2025, narrowing the gap to 12,742.
  • Fieldbase Services overtook ipNX for 4th place by just 18 subscribers.
  • The top three ISPs account for over 63% of Nigeria's 420,989 active subscribers.

Volume of internet data consumed in Nigeria in May 2026
  • 1.5 million TB was consumed in May 2026, the highest monthly level on record.
  • 7 million TB was consumed in Jan–May 2026, up 42.1% from the same period in 2025.
  • Jan–May 2026 usage was 88.4% higher than in 2024 and 156.3% higher than in 2023.
  • May’s monthly usage was nearly 2.6× the level recorded three years earlier.
  • The surge points to rapidly growing demand for internet-based services, content and digital activity in Nigeria.

In 2023, about 1 in 6 Nigerians were still on 3G; by 2026, that's down to about 1 in 20
  • 3G's share of Nigeria's mobile market fell from 16.5% to 5.1% between May 2023 and May 2026.
  • 4G became the dominant network, with its market share rising from 25.1% to 54.3% over the same period.
  • 2G's share declined from 58.4% to 36.1% but still accounted for more than one-third of all mobile connections.
  • 5G expanded nearly 37-fold, growing from less than 0.1% to 4.5% of mobile subscriptions.

MTN accounts for over half of internet subscriptions in most Nigerian states
  • MTN held over 50% of active internet subscriptions in most Nigerian states as of December 2025.
  • Ekiti had MTN’s highest share at 70.6%, followed by Imo at 64% and Anambra at 63.7%.
  • Borno was the only state where Airtel led, with 56.6% of active internet subscriptions.
  • Globacom did not lead any state, but it had notable shares in Edo, Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Bayelsa.
 

Card channels were the most susceptible to fraud in Nigerian banks in Q1 2025, with $14.3 billion involved
  • Cards were the most involved in fraud, with ₦14.3 billion representing the most significant exposure among all transaction channels
  • Card transactions also had the highest number of cases (11,972), indicating widespread and frequent attacks
  • Actual losses on cards were 11.5% (₦1.6 billion) of the amount involved, showing that significant financial damage still occurs despite preventive systems
  • Cash fraud accounted for ₦6.8 bn in exposure, nearly half of the card channel’s total
  • Cash also recorded 12.3% (₦800 million) in actual losses
  • Cheques had the lowest fraud involvement (₦1.2 billion) and only 46 cases, but the highest actual loss rate (72.7%)

Africa's cybersecurity score grew from 21 in 2017 to 57 in 2024, a 171% increase
  • Africa’s cybersecurity score increased by 171% between 2017 and 2024.
  • The continent’s score rose from 21 in 2017 to 57 in 2024
  • Africa has reduced the gap with global averages, reducing the difference from 15 points in 2017 to 9 points in 2024.
  • The global cybersecurity score rose from 36 in 2017 to 66 in 2024.
  • Africa’s most notable leap was between 2021 (35) and 2024 (57), showing accelerated progress in recent years.

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