Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.
These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.
Nigeria was the seventh most populous nation in the world in 2020, with 206.1 million people. Projected to reach a population of 401.3 million by 2050, Nigeria will rank third after India (1st) and China (2nd). According to Institut national d'études démographiques' projections, Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Egypt, Tanzania, and Kenya will be among the world’s top 20 most populous countries by 2050.
Data from Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics shows that the Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) disbursed at least ₦32.8 trillion net to the 36 states and the FCT since 2011.
Five of Nigeria's oil-producing states — Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Lagos — have received 33.7% of the country's net federal allocation since 2011, with Delta State receiving the most. Kano, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, and Ondo complete the top ten.
The cost of cooking gas nationwide increased from an average of ₦10.3k in March 2023 to nearly ₦16k in March 2024.
However, the northern regions had the most affordable prices. The North East had the lowest average price of ₦14.9k for a 12.5kg cylinder.
In Katsina, the average price for 12.5kg of cooking gas was ₦12,400 as of March 2024, the lowest in the country.
Over the years, merchants on agency banking platforms have played an important role in bringing the banking system closer to people. They also played a key role during Nigeria's cash crunch in Q1 2023. Despite their importance, there have been reports of people using them to commit fraud, prompting the government's recent decision to have all POS agents registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. As of March 2024, 2.69 million POS terminals had been deployed, including those used as payment options.
In 2023, 1.17 billion smartphones were shipped globally. Samsung and Apple maintained their stronghold on the smartphone market, collectively accounting for 38%, with each brand capturing 19%.
Xiaomi maintained a 12% share after peaking at 14% in 2021. Apple's market share shows a gradual increase from 2020, reaching 19% in 2022 and 2023.
In May 2023, 4G made up 25% of Nigeria's telecoms market; by March 2024, its share had increased to 32.7%. 2G's share of the market went from 58% to 57%, with 3G dropping from 16.5% to 9%. 5G has maintained steady growth from 0.12% to 1.24%.
In 1994, the IBM Simon Personal Communicator, paved the way for a digital revolution. Fast forward to 2017, when smartphone shipments peaked at 1.57 billion units. However, the subsequent six-year period witnessed a 25% decline in shipments.
MTN Nigeria recorded its first loss in 2023 because of a loss of forex. The naira recorded a massive loss to the US dollar in the second half of 2023, with a 95% drop. The company's revenue jumped from ₦1.04 trillion in 2018 to ₦2.47 trillion. While its profit after tax grew alongside the revenue from 2018 to 2022, it dropped from ₦349b to a ₦137b loss in 2023.
In addition to having one of the lowest populations on the continent, Mauritius boasts the greatest broadband penetration rate — 147.39% as of 2022 — of any country in Africa. The eastern African nation's broadband Internet subscribers surpassed its population in 2019.
As of March 2024, there were 219m subscribers in Nigeria's GSM market which is dominated by three players each with over 20% market share. More than 40 mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) have been licensed to date, all of whom will rely on the infrastructure of the country's four mobile network operators to offer their services.
Voice is still king for Airtel Africa, accounting for the largest share of its revenue between 2019 and 2023. However, the revenue from data and Airtel Money, its mobile money services have more than doubled within this period. Revenue from voice and others didn't record a sharp increase unlike data and Airtel Money.
