Nigeria has made a notable improvement in its internet speed, according to the 2024 Worldwide Broadband Speed Report by Cable.co.uk . The country now ranks seventh in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an average download speed of 27.62 Mbps.
This improvement has also boosted Nigeria’s global ranking, moving up one spot from 133rd in 2023 to 132nd in 2024. The report, which covered 220 countries, shows that Nigeria is making progress in terms of internet speed.
In Africa, Nigeria trails behind six other countries: Réunion, South Africa, Eswatini, Rwanda, Mauritius, and Botswana. Réunion leads the pack with an impressive 63.29 Mbps average internet speed, followed by South Africa with 42.42 Mbps.
Overall, Nigeria’s improvement in internet speed is a positive development, but there is still room for growth and improvement.
Average Internet Speed in Africa
The report reveals that the average internet speed in Africa is 14.99 Mbps, which is a concern. This speed is the second-lowest globally, indicating that the continent still faces significant challenges in terms of internet connectivity.
Despite this, some African countries are making progress, with Nigeria being a notable example. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the entire continent has access to fast and reliable internet.
“50 countries were measured in the second-slowest region Sub-Saharan Africa, which averaged a download speed of 14.99Mbps overall. All but two of the countries found themselves in the slowest half of the league table.
“Going against the trend somewhat were Réunion (63.29Mbps, 75th), South Africa (42.42Mbps, 114th), and Eswatini (37.23Mbps, 120th). Meanwhile, Sudan (4.02Mbps, 223rd), Central African Republic (4.08Mbps, 222nd), and Ethiopia (4.45Mbps, 221st) all fell among the slowest ten countries in the world for average network speed,” the report stated.
Global Leaders in Internet Speed
The report analyzed a staggering 1.5 billion broadband speed tests worldwide and revealed that Iceland takes the top spot with an impressive average internet speed of 279.55 Mbps. Jersey follows closely in second place with 273.51 Mbps, while Macao, an Asian country, secures third place with 234.74 Mbps.
However, the report also highlights a concerning trend: 35 countries still struggle with average speeds below 10Mbps, which is the minimum required to support a typical family or small business. Although this number has decreased from previous years (48 in 2023, 67 in 2022, and 94 in 2021), there is still much work to be done to ensure global internet connectivity keeps pace with growing demands.
This shows that while some countries excel in internet speed, others lag behind, emphasizing the need for continued improvements worldwide.
What you should know
Nigeria is currently pushing to increase internet speed as well as increase the number of Nigerians with access through its National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020-2025). While some of the targets in the plan have already been missed, the country seems to be doing well in terms of the broadband speed targets.
According to the Plan, internet speed in Nigeria is expected to have reached 15Mbps download in the urban areas and 5Mbps in rural areas by 2023. The global report confirmed that the country has indeed exceeded this target with the 27.62Mbps recorded.
The improvement in internet speed, though still limited to major cities, could be attributed to the launch of 5G by MTN and Airtel. The entry of Elon Musk’s Starlink is also helping to boost internet access and speed in the country. According to users, Starlink currently delivers over 50Mbps in both urban and rural areas in Nigeria.
