Social media
New data reveals Nigeria witnessed significant growth in social media users
Nigeria has experienced a notable increase in social media users, with 36.75 million people engaging on various platforms in January 2024 out of the country’s 103 million internet users.
According to recent data from Datareportal, the surge represents a 16 per cent rise from the 31.6 million reported users in January 2023, driven largely by the country’s increased internet penetration, which now stands at 45.5 per cent of the total population.
Despite the growth, the data highlights that a significant portion of Nigeria’s population remains offline. At the beginning of 2024, 123.4 million people were not using the internet, indicating that 54.5 per cent of the population remains disconnected.
Statista’s global research platform ranks Nigeria among the top countries for social media usage. Users spend an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes on various platforms, with each user spending approximately 2 hours and 23 minutes daily.
Here is a breakdown of the social media platforms and their respective user bases in Nigeria as of January 2024:
Facebook: The platform recorded 36.75 million users, marking a substantial 68.9 per cent increase from January 2023.
YouTube: With 28.50 million users, YouTube experienced a slight decline of 9.8 per cent compared to the previous year.
Snapchat: The platform saw a significant increase of 22 per cent, with 15.11 million users in Nigeria.
Instagram: Instagram witnessed a remarkable surge, reaching 12.40 million users, a 74 per cent rise from the same period in 2023.
WhatsApp: The messaging app recorded a 20% increase, with 10.6 million users in January 2024.
LinkedIn: With 9.10 million members, LinkedIn also experienced growth compared to the previous year.
X (Unknown Platform): This platform’s user base grew to 5.75 million, an increase from the previous year.
Overall, the data underscores social media’s increasing importance and influence in Nigeria’s digital landscape, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp leading the way in user engagement and growth.