Nigeria has demonstrated remarkable progress in technology adoption with a significant 13 per cent growth in the latest Information and Communications Development Index (IDI) for 2025, according to data released by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Substantial Growth in Nigeria's Digital Landscape
The Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, confirmed the country's impressive performance in the global ranking. The IDI, which was introduced in 2009 to measure ICT development across nations, showed Nigeria's consistent improvement from 44.2 per cent in 2023 to 46.9 per cent in 2024 and finally reaching 52.9 per cent in 2025.
This growth trajectory translates to the notable 13 per cent increase that positions Nigeria as one of Africa's advancing digital economies. The index evaluates countries based on ten indicators distributed across two crucial pillars: universal connectivity and meaningful connectivity.
African Digital Development Patterns
While Nigeria celebrated substantial growth, other African nations showed varied performances in the 2025 IDI assessment. The Democratic Republic of Congo recorded an impressive 67 per cent growth, while Liberia achieved 18 per cent. Algeria and Cote d'Ivoire both registered six per cent growth, with Gabon and Egypt showing more modest increases of two per cent and one per cent respectively.
Kenya, however, experienced a four per cent decline in its ICT development ranking. The 2025 edition covered 164 economies worldwide, a reduction from previous years due to data availability issues that excluded seven economies failing to meet minimum data threshold requirements.
Economic Impact and Government Vision
The ICT sector's contribution to Nigeria's real GDP reached 11.18 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, confirming its crucial role in the non-oil economy. Minister Tijani has announced ambitious plans to elevate this contribution to 21 per cent within the next two to three years, emphasizing the government's commitment to digital economic expansion.
The sector continues to drive several high-growth sub-sectors including telecommunications, digital finance (Fintech), e-commerce, educational technology, and health technology. This diversification underscores the transformative power of digital infrastructure in Nigeria's economic landscape.
Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at ITU, emphasized that the current IDI is anchored in the concept of Universal and Meaningful Connectivity (UMC), a framework that addresses not just access but also critical barriers like affordability, digital skills, and connection quality.
Despite global advances in connectivity, significant disparities remain, particularly for Africa which has the lowest average regional score of 56 points. However, the ITU noted that low-income countries are progressing the fastest, albeit from a lower baseline, indicating potential for continued growth in Nigeria's digital ecosystem.
