Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson has said that Nigeria has recorded a 52% growth in internet usage, a percentage higher than 2013 estimation which was only 11 per cent.
Johnson made this statement at a press briefing to mark the 2015 World Telecommunications and Information Society Day and the 150th anniversary of the International Telecommunications Union in Abuja on Monday.
The Minister who was represented by Director of e-Government in the Ministry of Communications Technology, Mr. Tope Fashedemi said “Before August 2001, Nigeria had a combined fixed and mobile telephone subscription of just over 400,000 lines since independence in 1960, but in just 14 years after the licensing of the mobile operators, Nigeria’s telephone subscription, which is dominated mainly by mobile lines, is over 148 million connected lines with a tele-density of 96.8 per cent.
“Similarly, there has been significant growth in the use of Internet within a short period. Nigeria recorded Internet growth from 11 per cent in 2013 to 52 per cent in 2014 and currently has 29 per cent share of Internet usage in Africa.
“Telecommunications and ICTs have become pervasive and recognised the world over as drivers of innovation from the purview of social, economic, commercial and cultural development of a country.
“ICT is a modern tool for wealth creation, employment generation, improving efficiency and increasing productivity for better life and economic empowerment for a sustained socio-economic development of the peoples of the world.”