Nigeria's smartphone market is rapidly growing, with 75% of respondents owning a smartphone in 2025, up from 64% in 2023, according to a study by KPMG and Orange Group. The study, which surveyed 13,251 respondents across 12 major Nigerian cities, found that Android devices dominate the market with an 88% share, while Apple's iOS accounts for 12%. This trend is driven by the affordability of Android devices, which are available across various price segments.
The study highlights the price divide at the heart of Nigeria's smartphone market, with most consumers opting for lower-cost Android devices over Apple's premium ecosystem. Android's advantage lies in its ability to serve almost every price segment, from entry-level devices to premium phones, giving manufacturers such as Tecno, Infinix, Samsung, Itel, and Xiaomi room to compete for consumers at different income levels. As a result, Tecno's share declined from 29% to 25%, while Infinix fell from 26% to 24%, and Samsung increased from 10% to 12%.
The shift towards smartphones has significant implications for Nigeria's digital economy, as these devices have become the main gateway to banking, payments, commerce, social media, education, entertainment, and work. Smartphones have evolved from communication devices into important enablers of economic participation and enterprise, according to KPMG. However, the operating-system split shows that access to the digital economy is still strongly influenced by income.
The KPMG-Orange study reveals that feature-phone usage fell from 36% to 28% between 2023 and 2025, as more Nigerians move from basic phones to smartphones. This trend is driven by the increasing importance of smartphones in everyday economic activity, with 157 million internet subscribers in Nigeria as of May 2026, and monthly data consumption exceeding 1.5 million terabytes.
Android's dominance is not solely due to the dominance of one manufacturer, but rather the depth of the ecosystem and the number of brands competing across different price points. This allows consumers to choose from a wide range of hardware configurations, while the operating system supports customization and a broad application ecosystem. For Nigeria, this flexibility has a wider economic consequence, as more than a third of mobile subscribers were still on 2G as of May 2026.
Despite the growth in smartphone adoption, there are still significant barriers to inclusive digital development, including infrastructure limitations, affordability, digital literacy, and cybersecurity. These challenges create a paradox for policymakers and technology companies, as Nigeria can record strong smartphone growth while millions of people remain excluded from the full benefits of digital connectivity.
The country's smartphone market is not simply a contest between Android and iOS, but also a measure of how income determines the quality and depth of digital participation. As smartphone ownership rises, the next battle may not be over whether Nigerians own smartphones, but how much they can afford to spend on the devices that connect them to Nigeria's growing digital economy. For device makers, fintechs, banks, telecom operators, and app developers, the largest digital audience in Nigeria is likely to remain heavily Android-based.
Key points
- Android devices account for 88% of Nigeria's smartphone market, driven by affordability and a wide range of options from various manufacturers.
- Smartphone ownership in Nigeria rose to 75% in 2025 from 64% in 2023, driven by the growing importance of smartphones in everyday economic activity.
- The country's smartphone market is not simply a contest between Android and iOS, but also a measure of how income determines the quality and depth of digital participation.
