The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled a new report highlighting the gaps in Nigeria’s digital economy
According to the agency, while 86.5 per cent of adults hold financial accounts, only 6.6 per cent bought goods online in the three months preceding the survey.
The Nigeria Tech Outlook Report 2026 was uveiled on Wednesday by Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General, NITDA at the ongoing Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE) 2026 in Abuja.
The report also comes with a digital dashboard intended to make its findings accessible to policymakers, investors, researchers and other stakeholders interested in Nigeria’s technology sector.
Speaking at the unveiling, Inuwa said the report would provide a credible national baseline for measuring the country’s digital progress, identifying areas of weakness and determining where interventions were most needed.
Its findings cover several critical areas, including financial services, telecommunications, commerce and trade, electronic government services, digital healthcare, access to technology, digital skills, consumer trust and inclusion.
To gather the data, researchers conducted 2,147 household interviews, 539 interviews with health facilities and 15 key informant interviews. They also reviewed 10 administrative records from relevant institutions.
Presenting some of the findings, Inuwa said: ”The report shows that 86.5 per cent of Nigerian adults held financial accounts, while only 12 per cent accessed digital credit in the preceding 12 months.
”It also reveals that 40.6 per cent of adults personally used smartphones, while only 6.6 per cent purchased goods online within the preceding three months.
”On digital public services, the report indicates that 17.9 per cent of respondents used government services online in the preceding 12 months.
”It further shows that 75.9 per cent of adults were willing to use telemedicine if available, while 11.3 per cent had insurance coverage.’
The figures point to a considerable gap between financial account ownership and the wider use of digital services. Although a large proportion of Nigerian adults have financial accounts, the relatively low adoption of digital credit and online shopping suggests that access to financial services has not automatically translated into broader participation in the digital economy.
The report also highlights the limited use of smartphones, with only 40.6 per cent of adults personally using the devices. This has implications for the expansion of online commerce, digital banking, electronic public services and other technology-driven activities that depend heavily on smartphone access.
In the healthcare sector, the finding that 75.9 per cent of adults would be willing to use telemedicine if available suggests considerable potential for digital health services. However, the report’s finding that only 11.3 per cent of adults had insurance coverage also points to wider challenges in healthcare access and financial protection.
Inuwa further disclosed that 13.1 per cent of respondents had experienced digital financial fraud, warning that the findings reinforced the need for stronger consumer protection and greater trust in digital transactions.
He said the report would enable government institutions, investors, researchers, innovators and development partners to make decisions based on reliable evidence rather than assumptions about the country’s technology market.
According to him, the accompanying dashboard would allow stakeholders to explore the findings beyond the printed publication, monitor developments and provide feedback on Nigeria’s digital economy.
The NITDA director-general also said the research could help investors identify opportunities in payment systems, telecommunications connectivity, digital devices, e-commerce, logistics, electronic government services and digital healthcare.
However, he stressed that attracting investment into these areas would require addressing persistent obstacles, particularly unreliable power supply, inadequate digital skills, affordability, poor interoperability and consumer protection concerns.
He noted that without improvements in these areas, the expansion of digital infrastructure might not translate into meaningful economic benefits for ordinary Nigerians and businesses.
Inuwa added that the report would establish an annual process for tracking the country’s digital development, reviewing targets and adjusting policies as new evidence emerges.