How NITDA report exposes Nigeria’s digital economy investment gap
…Says 86.5% of adults have financial accounts
..Only 12% access digital credit
Nigeria’s digital economy is recording significant financial account penetration, but weak access to digital credit, low smartphone usage and limited online transactions continue to constrain its economic potential, according to a new report by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The Nigeria Tech Outlook Report 2026, unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja, showed that although 86.5 per cent of Nigerian adults held financial accounts, only 12 per cent accessed digital credit in the preceding 12 months, highlighting a substantial gap between financial access and the use of technology-driven financial services.
The report also found that only 40.6 per cent of adults personally used smartphones, while 6.6 per cent purchased goods online within the preceding three months, underscoring the challenges facing digital commerce, financial technology and the wider technology investment ecosystem.
NITDA’s Director-General, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, unveiled the report at the ongoing Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE) 2026 in Abuja.
The report provides a national baseline for measuring Nigeria’s digital economy performance, identifying investment opportunities and tracking progress across financial services, telecommunications, commerce, e-government, e-health, digital access, skills, trust and inclusion.
According to Inuwa, the research involved 2,147 household interviews, 539 health facility interviews, 15 key informant interviews and 10 administrative records from relevant institutions.
Beyond financial inclusion, the findings revealed significant gaps in the adoption of digital public services, with only 17.9 per cent of respondents having used government services online in the preceding 12 months.
In healthcare, 75.9 per cent of adults expressed willingness to use telemedicine if available, although only 11.3 per cent had insurance coverage, indicating opportunities for investment in digital health solutions and technology-enabled healthcare delivery.
The report also identified digital security as a major concern, with 13.1 per cent of respondents reporting experiences of digital financial fraud.
Inuwa said the findings would help investors identify opportunities across digital payments, telecommunications infrastructure, devices, e-commerce, logistics, electronic government services and digital healthcare.
He explained that the report was designed to enable government institutions, investors, innovators, researchers and development partners to base their decisions on measurable evidence rather than assumptions.
However, he identified electricity supply, digital skills, affordability, interoperability and consumer protection as critical constraints that must be addressed to unlock the sector’s investment potential.
The report also comes with a digital dashboard designed to make its findings accessible beyond the printed publication, enabling stakeholders to monitor progress and provide feedback.
Inuwa said NITDA intended to institutionalise an annual assessment process through which Nigeria’s digital economy performance would be measured, targets reviewed and policies adjusted in response to emerging developments.
The findings come amid government efforts to expand digital literacy and improve access to technology across the country.
In May 2025, it was reported that NITDA had launched its Digital Literacy for All Initiative (DL4ALL) nationwide, targeting digital skills coverage of 70 per cent of Nigerians by 2027 and 95 per cent by 2030. The initiative followed a pilot programme that trained 152,790 Nigerians across 12 states.
Similarly, a KPMG study reported by Nairametrics in September 2026 showed that Nigeria’s smartphone ownership increased to 75 per cent in 2025 from 64 per cent in 2023.
Despite the improvement, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has identified high device and connectivity costs, inaccessible digital products and inadequate digital skills as major obstacles to digital inclusion, particularly for persons with disabilities.
The latest NITDA findings suggest that expanding infrastructure and financial account ownership alone may not translate into stronger digital economic activity without improvements in affordability, consumer confidence, digital literacy and access to practical online services.
For investors, the figures point to opportunities in digital lending, smartphone distribution, e-commerce, logistics, telemedicine and digital public infrastructure, while highlighting the need to address the structural barriers limiting adoption.
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