Nigeria’s smartphone market has recorded its strongest growth in years, surging by 29 percent in the third quarter of 2025, a robust recovery attributed to a more stable exchange rate for the naira.
Omdia, the global technology market analyst firm, stated in its report that the strong performance marks the second consecutive quarter of growth for the sector, which is finally pulling out of a challenging 2024.
The rebound is being fueled by a combination of factors, including the relative stability of the naira, which has hovered between N1,450 and N1,500 per US dollar since the start of the year, easing inflation, and the introduction of aggressive device-financing schemes, the report stated.
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It also noted that vendors and currency drove the recovery, as the market’s swift recovery contrasts sharply with the turbulence of the preceding year. “Following foreign exchange (FX) reforms by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2023, the steep slide in the naira’s value pushed smartphone prices out of reach for many consumers.
“This volatility slowed shipments to a mere 1 percent in Q3 2024, reversing the substantial 63 percent surge recorded at the end of 2023. Imports of telephones into Nigeria fell significantly from $704.76 million in 2023 to $467.70 million in 2024.”
Omdia stated that, “Nigeria’s market surged 29 percent as vendors accelerated imports following Naira stabilising and refreshed sub-$150 portfolios, spurring upgrades in open-market retail.
The increased stability gave vendors the confidence to import more devices and focus on affordable sub-US$150 models, catering to the country’s price-sensitive consumers,” it stated.
Africa’s total smartphone shipments jumped 24 percent year-on-year to 22.8 million units in Q3 2025, ending five quarters of decline. Major markets across the continent posted strong double-digit growth, with South Africa (31 percent), Egypt (19 percent), and Kenya (17 percent) joining Nigeria in the recovery.
Significantly, the growth was dual-layered: the sub-$100 smartphone segment climbed 57 percent, while the premium segment above $500 grew 52 percent.
Manish Pravinkumar, principal analyst at Omdia, predicts that Africa’s smartphone market will contract by 6 percent in 2026 as supply-side challenges mount.
Rising Bills of Materials (BOM) costs, tight memory availability, elevated shipping and insurance fees, and persistent currency weakness are expected to disproportionately affect the low-end 4G segment, where the bulk of African demand is concentrated.
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For Nigerians, where smartphones remain the primary gateway to the internet, the current stability offers a crucial window, and while the country has 140.36 million mobile internet connections as of September 2025, global industry bodies estimate that six in ten Nigerians remain offline, largely because of the high cost of devices.
