Nigeria’s smartphone market rebounded by 10% in Q2, 2025, after declining by 7% in Q1, 2025, in accordance with Canalys, a world expertise market analyst agency. This marks the quickest progress since Q1, 2024, reflecting how easing inflation, a stabilising naira, and aggressive machine financing schemes are serving to the nation’s cell economic system recuperate from a bruising 12 months of foreign money shocks and shrinking family budgets.
Smartphones are essential in Nigeria, the place cell is the gateway to the web for a lot of. As of July 2025, the nation had 138.22 million cell web connections in contrast with 318,858 mounted wired and fibre connections. Lower than 20% of households in Nigeria personal a pc, in accordance with the World Financial institution.
However the market stays extremely delicate to foreign money swings since gadgets are largely imported. The Central Financial institution of Nigeria’s 2023 reforms triggered a steep naira crash, making telephones costlier.
“We import our telephones, and better greenback costs imply increased costs,” stated Ifeanyi Akubue, president of the Telephone and Allied Product Sellers Affiliation of Nigeria (PAPDAN), a nationwide physique for cellphone customers.
The impression was swift. By Q3 2024, Nigeria’s smartphone market progress slowed to 1%, reversing the 63% surge of This fall 2023. By Q1 2025, rising meals inflation and shrinking family budgets dragged the market down 7%.
Nonetheless, Q2’s rebound has been pushed by easing inflation and a stabilising naira, which additionally lifted the broader African smartphone market, which grew by 7% after solely experiencing a 3% progress in Q1, 2025.
“Nigeria continues to face out as one in all Africa’s most resilient smartphone markets,” Manish Pravinkumar, senior advisor for Center East and Africa (MEA) at Canalys, instructed TechCabal.
With over 60% of the inhabitants underneath 25, cell web because the default entry level, and 4G-enabled gadgets changing into extra reasonably priced, demand was certain to rise.
How manufacturers are competing
Samsung, Transsion, and Xiaomi are main Nigeria’s smartphone market restoration. Samsung is doubling down on distribution in upcountry areas, increasing its retail footprint, and providing financing choices.
“Reasonably priced but feature-rich Galaxy gadgets, a rising after-sales ecosystem (Samsung Care+ and extra service facilities), and Galaxy AI tailor-made for Nigerian customers (together with native language help) have constructed stickiness,” Pravinkumar stated.
For Xiaomi, a partnership with MTN Nigeria providing REDMI 15C customers six months of bonus knowledge is mixing affordability with community stickiness, in accordance with the analyst.
“Constructed on nationwide distributors, regional wholesalers, and micro-retailers providing credit score, promotions, and localised after-sales,” he stated. “ This has created deep rural penetration, although rivals are beginning to sway youthful consumers with design and advertising and marketing.”
Transsion, makers of Tecno, Itel, and Infinix, stays dominant with 65% market share within the nation, with its edge mendacity within the sub-$100 phase (₦151,487), “the place it has recorded 69% progress by addressing first-time smartphone consumers,” in accordance with Pravinkumar.
“With tailor-made options for native customers and a sturdy offline retail and repair presence, Transsion stays the default entry level for thousands and thousands getting into the smartphone ecosystem,” he added.
Function of machine financing
Maybe the most important catalyst has been cellphone financing. Suppliers like M-Kopa, Easybuy, CDCare, Jumia Flex, Slot Nigeria, and the Gadget Finance Scheme by Entry Financial institution, amongst others, are making gadgets extra accessible.
“Fashions resembling Purchase-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL) and Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) are redefining affordability, enabling broader smartphone possession and driving digital inclusion,” Pravinkumar stated.
Nonetheless, dangers stay. Smartphones are a luxurious for a lot of Nigerians, and costs proceed to climb. Nonetheless, they supply a lifeline in a rustic the place characteristic telephones accounted for 46% of the overall cell market as of Q2 2025.
Rising smartphone penetration, which stood at 59% in city areas of Nigeria and 26% in rural areas in 2023, is essential to unlocking the complete potential of Nigeria’s digital economic system, as many startups depend on mobile-first clients.
Nonetheless, the shift towards smartphones is accelerating albeit slowly, “pushed by financing schemes, aggressive retail growth, and native partnerships,” Pravinkumar added.
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