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Popular Insights
  • As of February 2023, Airtel had the fastest Internet speed of all mobile operators in Nigeria at 22.42Mbps, followed by MTN with 21.71Mbps, and Glo with 8.70Mbps. 9mobile comes last with a speed of 8.32Mbps. Airtel's speed of 22.42Mbps was about 26% of Starlink's speed.

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    Over the past ten years, there has been a rising trend of fraud and forgery cases in Nigerian banks. Although there was an 88% increase in reported cases in 2021, there was a 27% decrease in 2022, resulting in a 221% increase in financial losses of ₦9.5 billion.
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  • Top ten African countries by estimated number of films produced annually

    The Nigerian movie industry, mainly financed via public or private funding and international grants, produces the most films in Africa, yearly. Nigeria produced more than double the number of films that the Ghanaian and Kenyan movie industries produce annually.

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    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.

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  • Every Nigerian president since 1999 left office with a higher dollar to naira exchange rate than when they took office. Will President Tinubu's tenure be the exception?

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    Only 10% of Nigerians earn above ₦100,000, according to the Nigerian Financial Services Market Report. This aligns with most reports about Nigeria, and it's in sharp contrast to the narratives online.
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  • Only 10% of Nigerians earn above ₦100,000, according to the Nigerian Financial Services Market Report. This aligns with most reports about Nigeria, and it's in sharp contrast to the narratives online.
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  • A Trend of Adult literacy rates of African countries

    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.

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  • Top ten African countries by estimated number of films produced annually

    The Nigerian movie industry, mainly financed via public or private funding and international grants, produces the most films in Africa, yearly. Nigeria produced more than double the number of films that the Ghanaian and Kenyan movie industries produce annually.

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Other Insights

Key takeaways:

  • BUA Foods saw a significant profit increase between Q1 2021 and Q4 2024, with notable highs in 2024.
  • In Q3 2023, there was a drastic drop in profits, which was subsequently followed by a robust recovery.
  • The highest profit before tax was recorded in Q3 2024 at ₦78.47 billion.
  • Quarterly profits varied, ranging from as low as ₦2.02 billion to as high as ₦78.47 billion.
  • A significant turning point occurred in 2024, with quarterly profits consistently surpassing ₦60 billion.
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Key takeaways:

  • The most significant growth was observed in 2024, with operating profit reaching a record high of ₦174.97 billion in Q4.
  • Despite experiencing some fluctuations each quarter, the company displayed resilience and a strong capacity for scaling.
  • BUA Foods showed consistent improvement in operating profits year over year.
  • Quarterly operating profits ranged from around ₦20 billion in 2021 to nearly ₦175 billion in Q4 2024.
  • A major breakthrough occurred in 2024, with quarterly operating profits consistently exceeding ₦99 billion.
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Key takeaways:

  • BUA Foods Plc's turnover rose from ₦70.2 billion in Q1 2021 to ₦437.4 billion in Q4 2024.
  • The organisation experienced steady quarterly increases throughout all periods.
  • A notable spike was observed in 2024, with quarterly turnover consistently above ₦315 billion.
  • The fourth quarter of 2024 marked a peak turnover of ₦437.4 billion.
  • In terms of quarterly growth, Q1 2024 recorded the highest rate at 75%.
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Eurobond issuance by African countries (2024)
  • South Africa issued $3.5 billion, making up over a quarter (25.6%) of all issuances on the continent.
  • South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria issued $8.3 billion, accounting for 61% of Africa’s total Eurobond issuance in 2024.
  • Despite economic uncertainties, Nigeria remains an active player in international markets, issuing $2.2 billion in Eurobonds.
  • Francophone West Africa has a strong presence as Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Benin collectively issued $4.4 billion, highlighting their growing role in Africa’s debt markets.
  • At $0.75 billion and $0.55 billion, respectively, Benin and Cameroon still secured external financing, but at significantly lower levels than their larger counterparts.
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Key takeaways:

  • The third quarter of 2023 displayed an unusually low tax payment of ₦104.9 million.
  • Tax contributions stabilised once again in Q4 2023 and maintained a robust presence in 2024, especially in Q1 and Q3.
  • Beginning at ₦1.99 billion in Q1 2021, BUA Foods’ income tax payments displayed fluctuations up until 2024.
  • Tax payments for BUA Foods remained relatively stable between 2021 and 2022.
  • The peak tax payments occurred in Q2 2023 at ₦7.09 billion and Q1 2024 at ₦6.54 billion.
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Key takeaways:

  • The tax-to-GDP ratio reached its peak in 2022/23 at 24.9%, signifying enhanced efficiency in tax collection.
  • Throughout the past two decades, the percentage of tax revenue relative to GDP has exhibited significant stability.
  • The tax revenue as a proportion of GDP has fluctuated between 21% and 25% over the last twenty years.
  • Notable declines occurred during global economic downturns, such as the financial crisis of 2008-2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The recent years (2021-2024) reflect a robust recovery, with tax revenue percentages approaching peak levels.
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  • Shoprite leads in geographical presence, with stores in 13 Nigerian states, followed by Marketsquare with 11 states.
  • Everyday Supermarket is the only other chain with a presence in at least five states, while the majority of other brands are in just four or fewer states.
  • Most retail chains in Nigeria remain regionally concentrated, with only a few achieving significant national coverage.
  • The presence of only a few nationwide chains may present an opportunity for expansion by emerging retailers.
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  • Bokku! Mart dominates the retail landscape with 123 locations, nearly three times the count of the second-largest chain, Addide, which has 44 stores
  • Marketsquare, Justrite, and Shoprite round out the top five with 36, 31, and 23 stores, respectively, indicating a competitive yet fragmented retail sector
  • Most retail chains have fewer than 25 stores, with 13 out of the 18 listed having fewer than 15 stores
  • Traditional supermarket names like Shoprite and Game face competition from local brands
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  • 2G remains the dominant network, covering 94.14% of Nigeria’s population, ensuring basic connectivity across the country.
  • 3G has strong penetration at 89.42%, serving as a bridge between legacy and modern networks.
  • 4G coverage reaches 84.19%, reflecting growing adoption but still lagging behind older technologies.
  • 5G penetration is extremely low at just 11.80%, indicating that its rollout is still in its infancy and mostly limited to urban areas.
  • The high coverage of older networks suggests continued reliance on legacy infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
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  • Glo is the only Nigerian mobile operator that prioritises tower ownership.
  • It owns 8,550 towers, far exceeding its competitors combined.
  • MTN, 9mobile, and Airtel own 286, 86, and 61 towers, respectively.
  • Most operators lease towers from third-party providers like IHS Towers and American Tower Corporation, while Glo prefers to control its infrastructure.
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  • IHS Towers is the largest tower infrastructure provider in Nigeria, with 18,925 towers in 2023.
  • IHS Towers controls 62.3% of the collocated telecom towers in the country.
  • ATC Nigeria follows, operating 8,270 towers, significantly behind IHS Towers.
  • Other players include Africa Mobile Networks (1,326 towers) and smaller firms (1,852 towers).
  • The Nigerian tower market is highly consolidated, with IHS and American Tower Corporation dominating the space.
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  • MTN dominates submarine fibre optic deployment among GSM operators in Nigeria, increasing its network from 1,500 km in 2018 to 17,984 km in 2022
  • Glo had the earliest and largest submarine fibre deployment, peaking at 19,200 km in 2012, but later scaled down to 9,800 km from 2014 onwards
  • Airtel has not invested in submarine fibre, with its network remaining below 25 km throughout the period
  • 9mobile has not deployed any submarine fibre cable since 2012
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Total funding raised in East Africa, excluding exits (2019 - 2024)
  • Kenya is the absolute leader in startup funding, with $3.3 billion raised in the past six years.
  • The rest of East Africa is way behind, with Tanzania ($286M), Uganda ($183M), and Rwanda ($91M) being the next in line. But collectively, they don’t even match 20% of the funding Kenya received.
  • The total funding raised across East Africa from 2019 to 2024 is $3.94 billion, which means Kenyan startups alone secured more than 8 out of every 10 dollars invested in the region.
  • Investor confidence is highly concentrated in Kenya, largely due to its well-developed venture capital ecosystem, startup accelerators, and government support for innovation.
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Kenya's share of startup funds raised in East Africa, excluding exits (2019 - 2024)
  • Kenya dominates East Africa’s startup funding, securing over 83% of all funds raised between 2019 and 2024 — a clear indication of its position as the region’s startup capital.
  • Kenya’s startup funding share has remained consistently above 80% since 2020.
  • 2023 and 2024 saw Kenya secure nearly 89% of all funds, marking its strongest position.
  • Other East African countries combined have not received more than 30% of the funding in any year since 2019.
  • The lowest share of funding Kenya secured was in 2019 (69.81%).
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Percentage of internet users globally aged 16+ who own each kind of device (January 2025)
  • Smartphones are nearly universal, with only 2.2% of internet users worldwide not owning one.
  • Laptop and desktop ownership (58.3%) lags behind smartphones, reinforcing the shift toward mobile-first usage for internet access.
  • Smart TVs (48.2%) are closing in on traditional computing devices, showing how entertainment consumption is increasingly digital and on-demand.
  • Wearables are rising, with smartwatches (25.8%) and smart wristbands (12.9%) becoming more mainstream, signalling a growing appetite for health and fitness tracking.
  • Gaming consoles (18.9%) and smart home devices (17.4%) have niched but steady adoption, appealing to entertainment and home automation enthusiasts.
  • Virtual Reality (VR) remains a specialty product, with just 4.7% ownership.
  • For businesses, the mobile-first reality is non-negotiable —any service, product, or content must prioritise accessibility via smartphones to reach the widest audience.
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Share of Nigeria's federal government capital expenditure (1999 - 2023)
  • Economic services still receive the largest share of capital expenditure (47% on average), which has declined over time, raising concerns about long-term infrastructure development.
  • Spending on administration has risen, now accounting for a quarter of total capital expenditure (25%), highlighting a stronger focus on governance and institutional processes.
  • Social community services (such as education and healthcare) have seen growth in allocation, reaching around 12-19% in recent years, signalling a shift toward social development.
  • Transfers, which are funds allocated to specific entities or programmes, have fluctuated but occasionally spiked.
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Key takeaways:
  • Africa's ten most profitable banking institutions are concentrated in South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria.
  • South African and Egyptian banks claim the first five positions among Africa's most profitable banks.
  • Nigeria's banking sector shows resilience, with three of its "FUGAZ" banks securing positions in the continental top ten.
  • The average profit after tax among Africa's top ten profitable banks reached $867 million.
  • The four most profitable banks in Africa each exceeded $1 billion in profit after tax.
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Key Takeaways:
  • MTN Nigeria's income tax payments consistently rose from ₦75.66 billion in 2018 to ₦170.1 billion in 2022.
  • In 2023, there was a significant drop in the payments, which fell to ₦40.87 billion, the lowest in the period under review.
  • In 2024, MTN Nigeria saw its income tax jump by 267% from 2023's figure.
  • The company achieved its peak income tax payment of ₦170.1 billion in 2022.
  • The income tax for MTN in 2023 dropped by ~76% due to substantial forex loss from naira devaluation.
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