Nigeria’s ICT Sector Surges 31.63% in Q1 2025, Driven by Broadband, Mobile Growth, and Digital Content Boom
Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector posted a significant 31.63% year-on-year nominal GDP growth in Q1 2025, a sharp rise from the 3.40% growth recorded in Q1 2024. This performance marks a 28.23 percentage point leap, attributed largely to increased broadband penetration, rising mobile subscriptions, and the growing appetite for digital content across platforms. The data, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), indicates strong momentum in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.
The telecommunications subsector remained the driving force behind the surge, contributing the largest share to the ICT sector’s performance. Other areas, such as publishing, broadcasting, film production, and music, also benefited from a rapidly expanding digital economy. The NBS highlighted that the country’s rising dependence on digital services—including streaming platforms, online education, and fintech—continues to shape consumption patterns and boost sectoral growth.
In terms of nominal GDP contribution, ICT rose to 10.29% in Q1 2025, up from 9.25% in the same period of 2024 and 8.55% in Q4 2024. Real GDP growth in the sector, adjusted for inflation, reached 7.40% year-on-year—an improvement from the 4.04% seen in Q1 2024. However, on a quarter-on-quarter basis, real growth declined by -8.86%, which the NBS attributes to the seasonal drop following holiday-fueled online activity in Q4 2024.
The report also reflects Nigeria’s newly rebased GDP calculations, now using 2019 as the base year instead of 2010. This rebasing revealed that nominal GDP in 2019 was actually 41.7% higher than previously estimated, and 2024 GDP figures were revised upward by 35.4%. These adjustments offer a more accurate view of the economy’s evolving structure, particularly by better accounting for digital advancements and emerging sectors.
Looking ahead, analysts remain optimistic about the ICT sector’s trajectory. With continued investments in 5G networks, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and local content creation, stakeholders believe the sector is positioned for sustained growth. Tech analyst Jide Awe noted that visible innovations from telecoms, streaming platforms, fintech, and startups are now being reflected in the country’s economic output, underscoring the sector’s growing importance in national development.
Source: Leadership