Nigeria’s fall to 85th place in the most recent global internet speed chart highlights growing concerns that faster connection speeds are not being matched by improvements in access.
Despite increasing internet penetration, Nigeria’s median mobile download speed in December 2025, according to the most recent Speedtest Global Index published by the US-based firm Ookla, was 44.14 Mbps, placing the nation behind many others. Over the course of the year, Nigeria fell seven spots in the rankings.
Even as demand for data continues the rise nationwide, The News Chronicle reports that uneven network updates and infrastructure gaps remain major hurdles.
Maintaining its lead in Sub-Saharan Africa despite falling to 64th worldwide, South Africa recorded a mean download speed of 65.7 Mbps. With 45.37 Mbps, Kenya ranked 80th, making Nigeria one of only three countries in the region to appear in the top 100 worldwide.
Additionally, Ookla’s data show varied development across the continent. One of the most notable gains was in Côte d’Ivoire, which was aided by greater fibre coverage and relatively fast internet access among active users.
Following the growth of its national fiber backbone as part of a government-led digital plan, Mauritania also saw significant advances.
Though there have been developments, the report reveals that Gulf nations lead internet performance throughout the Middle East and Africa, with a number of them among the finest in the world in both mobile and fixed broadband speeds
