Network ranking:How Nigeria,can overtake South Africa ,Kenya — CITAD enumerates
Kola Oyelere Kano
Experts at a national digital policy dialogue convened by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) have outlined measures they said could help Nigeria overtake South Africa and Kenya in the forthcoming Network Readiness Index rankings.
Nigeria was ranked 103rd out of 127 economies assessed in the 2025 edition of the index, placing it 10th in Africa behind Mauritius, which emerged as the continent’s top performer.
The Network Readiness Index measures how countries deploy information and communication technology to promote economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability.
Countries are evaluated across four major pillars — people, governance, technology and impact.
Speaking at the dialogue, Nasiru Aliyu Shinkafi, a certified IT professional with Galaxy Backbone�, said Nigeria must aggressively expand its three million Technical Talent programme with measurable outcomes in digital literacy if it hopes to move into Africa’s top five and eventually surpass South Africa and Kenya.
Shinkafi noted that Mauritius has consistently maintained a wide lead in Africa’s digital readiness rankings, outperforming expectations relative to its income level, while South Africa and Kenya occupy the next positions on the continent.
According to him, Nigeria’s current strengths in the ranking are linked largely to its population size and GDP per capital.
He said the country must accelerate broadband infrastructure rollout, expand internet subscriptions and better leverage its domestic market under the technology pillar of the index.
Shinkafi also called for full implementation of Nigeria’s artificial intelligence strategy, stronger regulatory quality, improved cybersecurity and data protection frameworks, as well as policies that would strengthen digital inclusion and bridge rural connectivity gaps.
“In the short term, Nigeria must aim to improve its overall score by between five and eight points to climb between 10 and 20 positions,” he said.
He added that the country should strengthen its ICT services sector to generate measurable economic impact.
In her presentation, Hadiza Ali Umar of Bayero University Kano identified limited digital literacy and inadequate skills development as Nigeria’s weakest areas in the ranking.
She, however, highlighted the country’s expanding telecommunications infrastructure, leadership in fintech innovation and youthful, technology-driven population as critical strengths that could support rapid digital growth.
The academic said strategic investments in digital education and broadband expansion would be necessary to accelerate progress, while warning that persistent digital divide and limited internet access remain major challenges that must be addressed.
The CITAD digital policy dialogue examined Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda and proposed recommendations aimed at achieving long-term impact and building an inclusive digital future.