Nigeria: Mobile Rises Sharply While Radio Dominates For News

While a vast divide remains between “media rich” and “media poor” Nigerians, household mobile ownership has surpassed that of radio and TV in Nigeria, and the use of Internet is trending upward, according to new findings on Nigerian media consumption habits presented by the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

The data, which comes from a national media survey conducted by Gallup in early 2014, shows that 87% of Nigerian adults have a mobile phone in their household. Personal mobile phone ownership has grown across all demographics, including women, Hausa speakers, and older Nigerians.

While use of new technologies is on the rise, radio remains the dominant news platform in Nigeria, with 77.4% overall and more than seven in 10 across all major demographic groups saying they listen to the radio for news at least weekly.

Nigerians are active consumers of news, with two-thirds (66.6%) saying they access news at least once a day. At the same time, Gallup World Poll data from July 2013 found a sharp decline in perceptions of media freedom in Nigeria, particularly in the north.