Nigeria Ranks 97th Globally in Digital Quality of Life Amid Affordability Challenges
Nigeria’s digital quality of life has seen only modest improvements in 2025, with the country ranking 97th globally in the latest Surfshark Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index, up slightly from 100th last year. While some progress has been made in digital security, affordability and Internet quality continue to hold back Nigerians’ online experience compared to regional peers like South Africa (75th) and Kenya (95th).
The Surfshark report highlights that Internet remains prohibitively expensive in Nigeria. Citizens must work about one hour and 41 minutes each month to afford mobile Internet, which is 14 times longer than in Angola, where Internet is the most affordable. For fixed broadband, Nigerians work nearly 14 hours and 32 minutes monthly—76 times longer than Bulgarians, who pay the lowest rates globally. Such high costs directly impact accessibility and limit the benefits of a connected digital life.
Nigeria’s performance across digital metrics is uneven. The country ranks 117th for Internet quality, reflecting slow connection speeds and high latency, while achieving its best ranking—58th—in digital security. Surfshark’s study also introduced a new pillar for 2025: Artificial Intelligence (AI), where Nigeria ranked 85th globally. Experts emphasize that AI adoption could enhance public services and create jobs, but these gains depend heavily on improved infrastructure and connectivity.
Digital infrastructure remains a major bottleneck. Only 39% of Nigerians have Internet access, placing the nation 108th globally in this area. Limited network readiness, coupled with slow fixed and mobile broadband speeds (46Mbps and 87Mbps respectively), restricts both business and personal use. By comparison, Singapore’s fixed and UAE’s mobile Internet are over five times faster, highlighting the gap Nigeria must bridge to remain competitive in the digital economy.
Experts urge that prioritizing affordable Internet, robust infrastructure, and AI readiness is critical for improving Nigerians’ digital quality of life. “Artificial intelligence can transform economies and improve quality of life, but without investments in infrastructure and training, the digital divide will grow,” said Tomas Stamulis, Surfshark’s Chief Security Officer. With measured steps toward affordability, faster networks, and AI integration, Nigeria can unlock the potential of a connected future.
source: The Guardian