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Africa still far from robust Internet connectivity
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By Sonny Aragba-Akpore
Despite the rise in global internet connectivity,African countries still wobble on the outskirts of globalization.
Paucity of investments,high costs of devices and political will may have been some of the reasons for the slow growth.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) released its 2024 Facts and Figures in Geneva,Switzerland last week with Africa almost occupying the bottom line in connectivity.
The ITU admits however that universal coverage is still elusive even though the growth in developed economies is high.
In 2024 ,5.5 billion people were online representing 68 per cent of the world population, compared with 65 per cent just a year earlier.
The year-on-year growth rate is itself increased rom 2.7 just one year ago to 3.4 per cent this year. “But the same figure tells us that 2.6 billion people, one-third of the global population, are still offline but Universal connectivity remains a distant prospect.”
In high-income countries 93 per cent of the population uses the Internet.
This contrasts starkly with the situation in low-income countries, where only 27 per cent of the population is online.
While the yearly growth rate in these economies averages 8.5 per cent in 2024, higher than in any of the other groups or regions, this is not sufficient to close the gap anytime soon.
The average monthly mobile broadband traffic per subscription in high-income countries 16.2 gigabytes (GB) is roughly eight times that in low-income countries with 2GB.
Put differently,an average user in a high-income country generates more traffic in just four days than a user in a low-income country does in a whole month.
Though smaller than across income groups, regional disparities are still striking. The average monthly traffic in Africa is 3.1 GB per subscription, less than a quarter of the world average of 13.9 GB or one-sixth that seen in the Commonwealth Independent of States (CIS) with 19.1 GB.
The ITU Facts and Figures show that “in 2024 the two connectivity benchmarks, namely the data-only mobile broadband basket and the fixed broadband basket, have become more affordable in all regions of the world and for all income groups.
Globally the median price of the mobile broadband basket, expressed as a percentage of gross national income (GNI) per capita, dropped from 1.3 to 1.1 per cent, while that of the fixed broadband basket dropped from 2.8 to 2.5 per cent.”
“Nonetheless, lack of affordability continues to be a key barrier to Internet access, particularly in low-income economies. A wide gap persists between high-income economies and the rest of the world, despite small improvements.” “Compared with the average mobile broadband subscriber in a high-income economy, subscribers in a lower-middle-income economy pay around six times as much of their income for such a basket, while subscribers in a low-income economy pay 19 times as much. A fixed broadband subscription, where one is available, costs the equivalent of nearly a third of the average person’s income in a low-income country.”
The United Nations Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development set an ambitious goal of making broadband in developing countries affordable by 2025.
Affordability is defined as the availability of broadband access at a price that is less than two per cent of monthly GNI per capita.
“In the last two years, the availability of relevant price data has greatly improved. Out of the 208 economies for which data are available, 140 economies currently meet the affordability target for at least the data-only mobile broadband or the fixed broadband basket; this is nine more than in 2023. However, among the low-income and middle-income economies, only 65, around one-half, have met the Broadband Commission’s affordability target for at least one of the two baskets.
Given recent trends in ICT prices and income levels, it is looking increasingly inevitable that most of the remaining population in these economies in that income group will miss the 2025 objective even for entry-level broadband access.”
Since commercial deployment of fifth generation (5G)began in 2019, its coverage has increased to reach 51 per cent of the world population in 2024 ITU figures for 2024 show.
GSMA puts the figure at 54 % for its 2025 reports indicating a marginal growth of three percent.
“However, the distribution is very uneven: 84 per cent of people in high-income countries are covered, but only four per cent in low-income countries.
At the regional level, Europe boasts the highest 5G coverage, at 72 per cent of the population, followed by the Americas (63 per cent) and the Asia-Pacific region (62 per cent). Coverage is much lower in the Arab States (13 per cent), the CIS (12 per cent) and Africa (11 per cent).”
But Where 5G is not available yet, 4G remains a very good alternative, available to 92 per cent of the world population. In low-income countries, however, 4G only reaches about half the population (52 per cent), and 3G remains an important technology for connecting to the Internet.
In reality ,Urban areas are generally prioritized for infrastructure roll-out, being more densely populated and hence more profitable to network providers.
This explains why globally 67 per cent of people living in urban areas have access to a 5G network, compared with only 29 per cent of those living in rural areas, a difference of almost 40 percentage points. The urban-rural gap affects all regions, ranging between 18 percentage points in the CIS region and 41 percentage points in the Asia-Pacific region.
In high-income countries, 90 per cent of the urban population has access to a 5G network, compared with only 58 percent of the rural population. In low-income countries, 5G is essentially unavailable in rural areas, and reaches only 10 percent of the urban population.
Mobile phones are the most common gateway to the Internet, so the prevalence of mobile ownership provides an indication of Internet penetration. “This is not a one-to-one relation, however: for one thing, people other than the owner may use the phone to access the Internet like children using the phone of a parent and some mobile phones are used on a calls-only basis (feature phones, limited subscriptions)”. Furthermore, some people may own more than one mobile phone like in Nigeria. .
In most countries, the percentage of individuals owning a mobile phone is somewhat higher than the percentage of individuals using the Internet.
The Global System of Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) released its yearly report last week too saying that the Fourth-generation (4G) technology has emerged as the most dominant network across the globe, with about 7.6 billion people now enjoying the service.
In its State of Mobile Internet Connectivity report, it also disclosed that 5G now covers more than half of the world’s population accounting for 54%.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data show that 4G network has reached 50.8 per cent of the population, followed by 2G, which covers 38.6 per cent; 3G, 7.38 per cent and 5G, 3.17 per cent in the country.
Three key players are MTN,Airtel and GloMobile.
But the coverage is more in urban and semi urban areas where 4G is predominantly concentrated and pockets of 5G.
“Almost 7.6 billion people worldwide now have 4G coverage, equivalent to 93 per cent of the global population. The majority of network investment continues to be in 5G deployments. 5G coverage has now reached more than half the world’s population (54 per cent or 4.4 billion people) with more than 700 million additional people covered in 2024.”GSMA submitted.
On Nigeria ,GSMA said, 78 per cent of rural respondents interviewed during its in-country survey,are aware of mobile Internet but only 39 per cent own an Internet-enabled phone a drop-off of 39 percentage points. This drop-off is also significant for urban respondents but smaller, at 24 percentage points.
While there are reports of fast growth of internet around the globe,
5G in Nigeria is still in its early days, mainly serving urban areas and those users familiar with the technology,desirous of fast speed connectivity and can afford high end devices and data plans.
“However, as infrastructure improves and device costs drop, 5G could become the foundation for Nigeria’s digital transformation”according to an analyst.
For those who live in major cities and have 5G-capable devices, and can afford higher data costs, 5G is a win win technology but consumes data faster than any other technology.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is battling what health officials have described as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 1,400 people reported dead and over 3,200 confirmed cases.
According to government figures released on July 6, the death toll had risen to 1,405, while confirmed infections surpassed 3,200 since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
Health officials said the outbreak is spreading faster than any previous Ebola epidemic. During the 2013–2016 West Africa outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people from over 28,000 confirmed cases, it took approximately eight months for the death toll to reach 1,000.
In the current outbreak, the same milestone was reached in less than 10 weeks.
The outbreak marks the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the DRC but only the third caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment specifically for the strain.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the actual number of infections could be between two and four times higher than official figures.
Health authorities are also concerned that approximately 80 per cent of newly reported cases are emerging outside known chains of transmission, making it increasingly difficult to trace infections and contain the spread.
The outbreak has been further complicated by industrial action among healthcare workers over unpaid salaries and allowances.
About 100 doctors, nurses and security personnel at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Centre in Bunia, Ituri Province, reportedly stopped work and staged protests over unpaid performance bonuses. The disruption affected one of the region’s key Ebola response centres.
Healthcare workers at Bunia General Hospital, the largest medical facility in the region, also reportedly went on strike over unpaid salaries, with some staff telling the Associated Press that they had not received their wages since joining the Ebola response.
Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya, told Sky News that a lack of resources was worsening the situation.
“These are people dying,” he said. “They are dying because we don’t have vaccines, we don’t have medicine, we don’t have funding.”
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected people or animals, as well as contaminated objects. The virus can also spread through contact with the bodies of people who have died from the disease.
Symptoms typically develop between two and 21 days after infection and may initially include high fever, severe muscle and joint pain, headaches and a sore throat.
As the disease progresses, patients may experience vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rashes, liver and kidney failure and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
The Bundibugyo strain has an estimated fatality rate of between 30 and 50 per cent.
Despite the absence of an approved vaccine for the strain, researchers have begun testing an experimental vaccine developed using technology similar to that used in the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the BBC, the first volunteer received the experimental vaccine last week as part of an early-stage clinical trial.
Meanwhile, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has warned that the movement of Ebola victims’ bodies between different parts of the country for funerals and burials could further accelerate the spread of the virus.
The organisation stressed that Ebola remains highly infectious after death, making safe and controlled burial practices critical to efforts to contain the outbreak.
Ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu could aim at a third term in office if circumstances allow it.
Lawal made the statement while speaking on The SYMFONI Podcast, where he discussed Nigeria’s political system, elections, and governance.
Reacting to questions if President Tinubu may attempt to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally allowed two terms, the former SGF said he believed such a move could happen if the opportunity presents itself.
“But Tinubu will go for third term, if God gives him the long life to do it, he will.
What will stop him now? Blind Nigerians or a pliant National Assembly of crooks.”
Babachir Lawal, who served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation under former President Muhammadu Buhari, also criticised Nigeria’s electoral process, alleging that many political parties do not practise true internal democracy during their primaries.
He argued that after elections, aggrieved candidates often resort to legal battles while ordinary Nigerians eventually lose interest in challenging the system.
“The candidates will go to the courts and the lawyers will collect billions of naira and impoverish them further. And then that’s the end.”
Fresh challenge has surfaced over the political future of Kano Central Senator Rufa’i Hanga after he held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, sparking widespread speculation that he may soon dump the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The meeting, which took place on Sunday, has intensified discussions within political circles, especially as Hanga is currently the only NDC senator representing Kano State in the National Assembly. Hanga arrived at the State House alongside former Senator Kabiru Gaya and was ushered into the Presidential Villa by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.
Following the meeting, Barau described the engagement as “fruitful,” although he did not disclose details of the discussions.Government The senator’s visit to the Presidency came shortly after separate meetings with APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, further fueling reports that he is preparing to cross over to the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. Political observers believe the sequence of high-level consultations is a strong indication that Hanga may be set to formally align with the ruling party after his relationship with NDC leader Rabiu Kwankwaso reportedly deteriorated.
The alleged rift between the two politicians became public after Hanga failed to secure the NDC senatorial ticket for another term and was also overlooked for the party’s deputy governorship nomination.
Executive Branch Analysts say welcoming Hanga into the APC would strengthen the party’s influence in Kano, particularly in Kano Central Senatorial District, one of the state’s most politically significant constituencies. Hanga is regarded as an experienced politician with deep roots in northern Nigerian politics.
He previously served as the founding National Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the political platform established by former President Muhammadu Buhari before it merged with other parties to form the APC in 2013.Africans & Diaspora Over the years, the senator has built a reputation for maintaining close contact with his constituents through grassroots empowerment initiatives and welfare programmes across the 15 local government areas that make up Kano Central, including Kano Municipal, Tarauni, Dala, Nassarawa and Fagge. Although opinions remain divided over his personal political strength, supporters insist he enjoys considerable influence among traditional institutions, community leaders and grassroots supporters.
Many analysts believe that joining the APC could provide Hanga with renewed political relevance, access to federal support and the opportunity to secure a strategic position within the party in Kano State. His fallout with Kwankwaso became more pronounced during a recent radio interview in Kano, where he openly accused the former governor of betraying him by denying him both a return Senate ticket and the NDC deputy governorship slot.
Responding to claims that his age and health influenced the decision, Hanga dismissed the argument and insisted he remained physically fit to continue serving. “How can Kwankwaso cite my age and health condition to deny me the chance? As of today, I am healthier than Kwankwaso.
His frequent references to my leg condition are nothing but a sham. Regarding age, he is two years older than I am,” Hanga said. He maintained that his leg condition has never affected his performance in the Senate and accused the NDC leadership of deliberately sidelining him.
With political realignments gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 elections, Hanga’s latest engagements with President Tinubu and senior APC leaders have further intensified speculation that a formal defection announcement could be imminent.
Sad: Ebola Outbreak In DR Congo Claims Over 1,400 Lives, Cases Surpass 3,200
Tinubu will aim at third term if health permits him- Ex- SGF Babachir Lawal claims
Just in: Ahead 2027, Kano NDC Senators Meet Tinubu over Planned Defection to APC
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