"N23k for 15mbps": Nigeria Ranks Among Countries With Highest Data Prices in the World

• Data comparing different countries of the world has shown that Nigeria pays a lot for data
• According to the report, Nigeria falls in the 12th position on the list of countries paying the highest for data
• With $20 monthly, the report shows that Nigeria can only get 15 Mbps compared to Latvia where the money can secure 1.2gbps

Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over 3-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market

A new report has scored Nigeria high on the list of countries with the most expensive internet usage.

The report by Picodi highlighted the average price of fibre optic in different countries.

This was computed by checking the price lists of 364 internet service providers in 85 countries worldwide.

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The result ranks Nigeria 12th with a $46.4 monthly internet plan price for 100 megabits per second (Mbps). This comes after South Africa with $46.6.

Norway, Iceland, and Australia were top of the list with an average of $79.4, $62.1, and $61.8 monthly spend respectively.

The report identified Russia and Ukraine as countries enjoying the cheapest monthly data cost at $5.6 and $6.1 respectively.

In terms of internet speed, the report also found that $20 (N23k) monthly would cover for just 15 Mbps in Nigeria compared to Latvia where the same amount of money would secure 1.2 Gigabits per second (Gbps).

Fg breaks silence on reported plan to increase data

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy reacted to the reported plan to increase the cost of data on telecommunication lines in Nigeria.

The minister noted this on his X page, while responding to a report based on his interview on AriseTV.

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The report, headlined “Cost of data in Nigeria is one of the cheapest in the world,” highlighted the 4-pillar agenda proposed to transform technology in the nation.

The minister said despite claim that data remain expensive in Nigeria, "it is still one of the cheapest in the world."

Tijani clarified that the conversation on the TV platform was actually about “quality of service, not advocating for an increase.”

Nigeria ranked 7th on global mobile phone usage amid high data costs

Legit.ng also reported that Nigeria ranked seventh in the world for mobile phone usage and eleventh for internet reach, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Umar Danbatta, the executive vice chairman of the commission, disclosed this at the "Emerging Technology Forum" for stakeholders in the telecommunications industry on Thursday, August 24, 2023, in Abuja.

Recall that the number of approved phones in Nigeria by the NCC rose to 2,155 as of July 2023.

Source: Legit.ng