In a recent Digital Quality of Life Index annual report, Africa’s most populous nation Nigeria lagged behind South Africa and Kenya in digital life quality ranking.
The latest ranking saw Nigeria ranked at the 88th position in the world, dropping two places downward compared to last year’s ranking.
The Digital Quality of Life Index annually ranks 121 countries by their digital well-being based on 5 core pillars.
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Out of the five pillars, Nigeria performed average in Internet quality, claiming the 62nd spot, while Internet affordability was ranked 108th. Nigeria was ranked 73rd in insecurity, 88th in e-government, and 93rd in infrastructure.
In the overall index, Nigeria lagged behind South Africa (72nd) and Kenya (76th). The country was ranked 7th place in Africa, while South Africa emerged as the leader in the region.
Speaking on the ranking, Surf Shark’s spokeswoman, Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauke said,
“In many nations, digital quality of life has merged into the broader concept of overall quality of life. There is no other way to look at it now that so many daily activities, including work, education, and leisure are done online. That is why it is crucial to pinpoint the areas in which a nation’s digital quality of life thrives and where attention is needed, which is the precise purpose of the DQL Index”.
Nigeria is 73rd in the world in e-security – seven places lower than last year. The e-security pillar measures how well a country is prepared to counter cybercrime, as well as how advanced a country’s data protection laws are. In this pillar, Nigeria lags behind South Africa (72nd) and Kenya (65th), showing how unprepared the country is to fight against cybercrime.
On internet quality, Nigeria is just around the global average as the country’s fixed internet average is currently at 25 Mbps. Compared to South Africa, Nigeria’s mobile internet is 31% slower, while fixed broadband is 64%.
However, since last year, mobile internet speed in Nigeria has improved by 87%, while fixed broadband speed has grown by 33%.
While the Nigerian government has launched several initiatives aimed at accelerating the country’s digital transformation, there still exist several challenges that have negatively impacted the digital life quality in Nigeria.
One major challenge is that the internet in Nigeria is highly unaffordable, compared to other countries. Reports reveal that Nigerians have to work 35 hours 25 minutes a month to afford fixed broadband internet.
This has led to a significant digital divide in Nigeria with rural areas and some low-income urban communities having limited access to the internet and digital services.
Also, infrastructure constraints in the country such as challenges of unreliable power supply, inadequate internet infrastructure, and slow internet speeds have continued to hinder the quality of life for many Nigerians.
Improving the digital life quality in Nigeria is a multifaceted challenge that requires a combination of policies, investments, and initiatives aimed at expanding digital access, digital literacy, and the overall digital ecosystem.
It is worth noting that these process requires a long-term commitment and collaboration between the government and other stakeholders. Also, the government must adapt to evolving technologies and address emerging challenges in the digital landscape.