Stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigerians have been spending more of their lives online. With nearly all public gatherings suspended, the internet has become our primary source of connecting to the outside world.
More Nigerians now look to connect with family and friends on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Many have also started seeking out entertainment on streaming outlets like YouTube and Netflix.
An analysis of internet usage in Nigeria reveals that the spread of COVID-19 has pushed us to our devices for work, shopping, play, information, and socializing. We now depend on the internet to do our jobs, get education, attend religious activities, and connect with other people.
In fact, companies have replaced face-to-face meetings and interactions with video-conferencing calls on Zoom software. The internet has become our primary source of comfort, fun, meeting, information, and even fear. And we are using it a lot.
Interestingly, among the biggest beneficiaries of the lockdown are local news sites, with huge spikes in traffic as people try to learn how the pandemic affects their lives and cities. Beating all of the news sites, in terms of increased popularity, is the social media page of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which has been attracting millions of readers after previously having almost none.
Nigerians have also been seeking out more mobile apps for entertainment and games. For instance, TikTok, a mobile that started gaining popularity before the outbreak, has seen a surge in traffic from short clips of pranks and lip-syncing.
Twitch is another online game site that has witnessed a steady increase in streaming game play during this crisis. Netflix, a stay-at-home movie and TV streaming site, has also become more popular among Nigerians.
Sadly, like most developing countries, we do not possess the infrastructure to handle a significant increase in online demand, leading to slower internet access.
While most telecommunication companies in African countries like South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia have introduced strategies to ease the financial burdens of internet users, Nigerian users have witnessed little or no slash in data prices.
With most Nigerians experiencing a drop in internet speeds and overpriced data bundles, the likelihood of truly enjoying the lockdown may remain a wishful one.
