Africans have always been keen on gambling. The gambling markets in some countries on the African continent are now very popular, and Nigeria is one of them. Thanks to its population of more than 200 million and rapid economic development in recent years, it is one of the largest economies in Africa. Therefore, if you want to enter African gambling, the Nigerian gambling market may be one of the target gambling markets. After all, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya are now known as the three major gambling countries in Africa. When it comes to Nigeria, there are several titles:

• Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa
• It is currently the largest economy in Africa, and its economic output will rank 28th in the world in 2022
• The sixth most populous country in the world
• The country with the largest population of black people in the world
• Nigeria is the fourth-largest member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and a member of OPEC (OPEC).
• Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and the world's sixth-largest oil exporter.
• Nigeria ranks second in the GDP list in Africa, after South Africa.

Nigeria's location

Nigeria is located in the southeast of West Africa. It borders Cameroon to the east, and Chad can be seen through Lake Chad to the northeast. It borders Benin to the west and Niger to the north. Nigeria's south is bordered by the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean and has rich marine resources. The country's area is approximately 923,768 square kilometers, making it the largest country in Africa. Nigeria's borderline is about 4,035 kilometers long, which allows it to have extensive contacts and exchanges with many countries. In addition, its coastline is 800 kilometers long.

Official language and religion in Nigeria

The official language of Nigeria is English, which is due to the influence of historical British colonial rule. However, in addition to English, Nigeria has more than 500 tribal languages ​​​​across the country, reflecting its deep and rich culture and history. The three most important languages ​​are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, which are widely spoken throughout the country.

In terms of religious beliefs, Nigeria also shows its diversity. The main religions in Nigeria are Islam, Christianity, and primitive fetishism. Among them, the population of Islam accounts for about 50% of the country's population, which is mainly concentrated in the northern part of the country. The population of Christians accounts for about 40%, and they mainly live in the south of Nigeria. In addition, about 10% of the population believes in primitive religions, which are usually closely linked to local traditions and customs.

Nigeria's Population

Nigeria has a population of over 220 million (221.2 million), with an increase of 5.2 million (+2.4%) between 2022 and 2023. Of these, 49.5% are female and 50.5% are male. The Christian population living in the south is almost 1:1 with the Muslim population in the north, and the average fertility rate per woman of childbearing age is 5.5 children, with a maximum of 8.6. Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, but the most influential are Hausa-Fulani (nearly 80 million people, accounting for 30% of the national population), Yoruba (nearly 40 million people, accounting for 15.5% of the national population), and Igbo (20 million people, accounting for 15.2% of the national population)

The people of Nigeria are mainly Christians in the south and Muslims in the north. Christianity accounts for 44.21% of the total population, Islam accounts for 52.61%, and traditional religions account for about 3%. Some places in the north have adopted Islamic law.

53.8% of Nigeria's population lives in urban centers and 46.2% lives in rural areas.

Age distribution of Nigerian population

Nigeria's population is very young, with an average age of 17.2 years.

16.1% are between 0 and 4 years old.

21.9% are between 5 and 12 years old.

11.6% are between 13 and 17 years old.

13.1% are between 18 and 24 years old.

13.6% are between 25 and 34 years old.

10.0% are between 35 and 44 years old.

6.7% are between 45 and 54 years old.

4.1% are between 55 and 64 years old.

3.0% are 65 years old and above.

Nigeria's Economy

According to the statistical analysis of data in 2023, Nigeria is in a prosperous position among African economies, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $477.38 billion, far exceeding any other country in Africa, which undoubtedly proves Nigeria's position as the largest economy in Africa. However, despite Nigeria's remarkable achievements and progress in the economic field, more than 63% of the Nigerian population still lives below the poverty line.

In this regard, the 2023 PiggyVest Savings Report conducted in-depth research and released detailed data. In this report, more than 1,000 Nigerians were interviewed and disclosed their income status. Among them:

• 26% earn less than 100,000 Naira (about $126) per month
• 20% have no income
• 25% earn between 100,000 Naira and 249,000 Naira (about 126-315 USD)
• 15% earn between 250,000 Naira and 499,000 Naira (about 317-633 USD)
• 14% earn between 500,000 Naira and 999,000 Naira (about 633-1266 USD)

These data clearly reveal that Nigeria has a serious problem of income inequality, and the social divide between the rich and the poor is very serious.

The current state of gambling in Nigeria

Since the establishment of the Nigerian National Lottery Regulatory Commission in 2005 and the publication of the Nigerian Gambling Industry in April 2016, the Nigerian gambling industry has experienced strong growth, with the number of sports betting license holders increasing from just one, Nairabet, in 2009 to 59 today. This is due to the large and young population, increased internet penetration, and the growing use of internet devices. At the same time, with the help of Nigeria's huge football culture, sports betting has gradually become a lucrative field. According to Statista, the total revenue of the online sports betting industry will increase from US$85 million in 2017 to US$257 million in 2023.

Nigeria's gambling industry has 65 million active users, who spend up to $1 billion a day, despite Nigeria's low level of development and economic difficulties. At the same time, Nigerians also want to get rich overnight as the economy develops. The online gambling industry, in particular, has swept the country, prompting millions of citizens to participate in various forms of gambling.

According to the Nigeria Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), Nigerians now spend up to $975 million per day on various forms of gambling, an average of $15 per person. This means that up to 14 million bets and payments are made on online gambling platforms every day.

Gambling Capital also predicts that Nigeria's gross gambling revenue (GGR) will reach €675.1 million (£576.8 million/$717.2 million) by 2025.

Bello Maigari, Executive Secretary of the NLTF, said the Nigerian gambling industry will continue its impressive growth trajectory and is expected to reach over $366 million per year by 2027.

From the above data, we can observe that no matter how much output value Nigeria's gambling industry can achieve after 2025, one thing is certain, that is, the gambling industry leaders are full of confidence and expectations for the development prospects of Nigeria's gambling industry. They foresee that Nigeria's gambling industry has great potential and can achieve significant growth in the next few years. This confidence stems from the size of Nigeria's gambling market and the enthusiasm of the people for the gambling industry, making the industry irresistible for gambling investors and gambling operators.

Google expands Gambling Advertising in Nigeria

In October 2019, Google updated its gambling and gambling policy to allow operators to advertise through its platform in Colombia, Kenya, and Nigeria and expanded the range of US states where gambling operators are allowed to promote their services.

The State of the Internet in Nigeria

Internet and social media users and connections in Nigeria

In 2023, the number of Nigerian Internet users will be 122.5 million, with an Internet penetration rate of 55.4%. This is an increase of 2.9 million Internet users (+2.4%) compared to previous years. At the same time, the number of social media users is 31.6 million, accounting for 14.3% of the total population. At the same time, Nigeria has a total of 193.9 million active cellular mobile connections, which is equivalent to 87.7% of the total population. (It is estimated that more than half of them are work machines)（估计有一大半都是工作机）

Internet connection speed in Nigeria

As of early 2023, Nigerian internet users have the following internet connection speeds: For mobile internet connections on cellular networks, Nigeria has an average speed of 19.84 Mbps. For fixed connections, the average speed is 11.84 Mbps.

Compared to last year, Nigeria’s average mobile internet connection speed increased by 2.47 Mbps or 14.2%. Meanwhile, fixed connection speeds increased by 1.78 Mbps, or 17.7%. This shows that Nigeria’s internet infrastructure is improving.

Nigeria's Social Media Statistics

By January 2023, the number of social media users in Nigeria has reached 31.6 million. This figure is equivalent to 14.3% of the total population of Nigeria and 25.8% of Internet users (this includes Internet users of all ages). This proves from one side that the active cellular mobile connections to the Internet mentioned earlier may be mainly used for work. In addition, the number of social media users aged 18 and above is 28.2 million, accounting for 25.3% of the total population aged 18 and above. This shows that the penetration rate of social media among the adult population in Nigeria is very high.

At the same time, as of early 2023, there are 28.2 million users aged 18 and above using social media in Nigeria. Of these 28.2 million users, 44.7% are female and 55.3% are male, indicating that male users slightly outnumber female users in terms of social media usage.

Nigerian Facebook users

Metadata shows that as of 2023, Facebook has 21.75 million users in Nigeria, equivalent to 9.8% of the country's total population. It accounts for 15.9% of people aged 13 and above. It is equivalent to 17.8% of the local (regardless of age) Internet user base. Among them, 41.3% are female, while 58.7% are male.

Facebook’s potential advertising reach in Nigeria fell by 4.4 million (-16.7%) between 2022 and 2023. The same data showed that the number of people that could be reached through Facebook ads in Nigeria fell by 3.3 million (-13.0%) between October 2022 and January 2023.

In fact, I personally feel that TikTok has taken up the user’s active time.

Nigerian TikTok users

As a globally popular social and short video application, TikTok's influence continues to grow worldwide. According to DataSparkle data, as of February 2024, TikTok has successfully occupied second place in the ranking of active users of social applications in Africa, second only to Facebook.

TikTok is also leading in usage in Kenya. DataSparkle data shows that in February 2024, the number of monthly active users of TikTok in Kenya reached nearly 4.7 million. According to the 2023 Digital News Report, Kenya is a world leader in the use of TikTok. Report data shows that TikTok is widely used in Kenya, with a weekly usage share of up to 54%. At the same time, DataSparkle data also shows that in February 2024, among the four major countries in Africa, the number of TikTok opens per capita in Kenya surpassed Egypt and ranked first, with an average of more than 130 opens per month.

YouTube users in Nigeria

Google resources show that YouTube has 31.6 million users in Nigeria in 2023. The advertising coverage is equivalent to 14.3% of the total population of Nigeria at the beginning of the year, and 25.8% of the total Internet user base in Nigeria. Of these, 44.7% are women, while 55.3% are men. At the same time, YouTube's potential advertising coverage in Nigeria decreased by 1.3 million (-4.0%) between 2022 and 2023.

Instagram users in Nigeria

Metadata shows that Instagram has 7.1 million users in Nigeria in 2023. The advertising coverage is equivalent to 3.2% of the total population.

However, Instagram restricts its users to those aged 13 and above, so in 2023, 5.2% of Nigerians aged 13 and above should be using Instagram. This is equivalent to 5.8% of the local Internet user base regardless of age. Of these, 43.3% are female, while 56.7% are male.

Meanwhile, Instagram’s potential advertising reach in Nigeria decreased by 2 million (-21.5%) between 2022 and 2023.

The data, calculated on a quarterly basis, also shows that Instagram’s advertising audience size in Nigeria decreased by 1.2 million (-13.9%) between October 2022 and January 2023.(Mainly influenced by TikTok)

According to the collected data, it is obvious that in Nigeria, the users of Instagram are mainly teenagers and adults over the age of 13. This phenomenon not only reveals the positioning of Instagram's user groups but also indirectly reflects the characteristics of the age structure of the Nigerian population. Nigeria's population structure is very young, which is reflected in the user statistics of Instagram. This young population structure provides huge potential and opportunities for Nigeria's online gambling industry.

Facebook Messenger users in Nigeria

Meta data shows that as of January 2023, Facebook Messenger reached 3.5 million users in Nigeria. This is equivalent to 1.6% of the total population. This is equivalent to 2.9% of the local Internet user base (regardless of age). Of these, 38.9% are female, while 61.1% are male.

Note: Meta's ad inventory only publishes audience gender data for "female" and "male" users.

However, Facebook Messenger’s potential advertising reach in Nigeria fell by 550,000 (-13.6%) between 2022 and 2023. On a quarterly basis, Facebook Messenger’s advertising audience size in Nigeria fell by 550,000 (-13.6%) between October 2022 and January 2023.(However, the number of advertising audiences is related to the activity of the platform's own users. It does not mean that the number of users has decreased, but only that the number of impressions has decreased.)

LinkedIn users in Nigeria

LinkedIn data shows that as of the beginning of 2023, LinkedIn has 7.5 million "members" in Nigeria. Equivalent to 3.4% of the total population. But everyone knows that LinkedIn members must be over 18 years old, so it can be said that it accounts for 6.7% of the total population of Nigeria aged 18 and over. The advertising coverage is equivalent to 6.1% of the local Internet user base (regardless of age). Among them, 35.3% are women and 64.7% are men. According to the LinkedIn Planning Tool data, LinkedIn's advertising coverage in Nigeria increased by 1.2 million (+19.0%) between 2022 and 2023. If calculated on a quarterly basis, LinkedIn's advertising audience size in Nigeria increased by 300,000 (+4.2%) between October 2022 and January 2023.

Therefore, judging by the number of LinkedIn users, the number of Internet users in Nigeria is increasing rapidly. This growth not only indicates that the penetration rate of the Internet is increasing, but also reflects the increasing demand for Internet use. As more people begin to use the Internet, they begin to look for various online platforms to meet their needs, and LinkedIn is one of them. Because of this, we can see that the number of LinkedIn users in Nigeria is continuing to grow.

Number of Snapchat users in Nigeria

Snap resource data shows that Snapchat had 12.35 million users in Nigeria at the beginning of 2023. The coverage rate is equivalent to 5.6% of the country's total population at the beginning of this year. It accounts for 9.0% of the population aged 13 and above, which is equivalent to 10.1% of the local Internet user base (regardless of age). Among them, 51.5% are female and 46.7% are male. According to Snap's own data, Snapchat's advertising reach in Nigeria increased by 2.9 million (+30.0%) between the beginning of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. At the same time, data from the same period showed that the number of users that Snapchat ads could reach increased by 2.4 million (+23.5%) from October 2022 to January 2023.

From the above data, it is not difficult to find that Snapchat has a high growth rate among Nigerian Internet users. This phenomenon shows that Nigerian Internet users are gradually accepting and using Snapchat. This may be due to the unique features of Snapchat that attract them, or it may be because Snapchat's marketing strategy is appropriate and successfully attracts Nigerian Internet users. Regardless of the reason, Snapchat's growth potential among Nigerian Internet users is huge.

Number of Twitter users in Nigeria

Figures released by Twitter show that as of early 2023, Twitter has 4.95 million users in Nigeria. This is 2.2% of the total population. This is equivalent to 3.6% of the population over the age of 13. Of these, 23.7% are female, while 76.3% are male.

Nigeria e-wallet

Online payment, in this increasingly digital age, especially the use of e-wallets, is of great importance to online gambling. After all, in addition to digital currency, most of the capital flow depends on e-wallets. Therefore, attention and research on various e-wallets and mobile payment services have naturally become an indispensable part of every online gambling platform. In Nigeria, there are some e-wallet applications that are very popular among the people. The following are some of the main e-wallets:

PalmPay:This is a very popular e-wallet and mobile payment platform in Nigeria. It not only provides regular services such as payment, transfer, bill payment, mobile phone recharge, etc. but its security and convenience are also widely praised.

OPay:This is a mobile payment and financial service platform launched by the well-known company Opera. It has a wide range of application scenarios. It can not only be used for payment and transfer, but also for taxi-hailing, food delivery, and other daily transactions. It can truly be seen everywhere in life.

Paga:It is also a highly used mobile payment platform, which provides payment, transfer, bill payment, mobile phone recharge, and other services. Its feature is that it allows users to easily manage their funds through their mobile phones, which undoubtedly greatly improves the user experience.

Quickteller：是由Interswitch运营的电子支付平台，它提供在线支付、账单支付、转账和充值服务，方便用户进行各种金融交易，这也是它赢得用户好评的一个重要原因。

Remita:It is a comprehensive electronic payment and collection platform that is widely used for the payment needs of governments, enterprises, and individuals. It supports various payment methods, including bank transfers and card payments, which can be said to meet the needs of various users.

Kuda Bank:It is a digital banking platform that provides banking services without account management fees. Users can make payments, transfers, savings, and other operations through the Kuda app, which is simple and convenient.

Flutterwave:It is a payment processing platform for enterprises, mainly helping merchants to receive payments from customers around the world. It also supports personal payment services, making its application scope more extensive.

Chipper Cash:This is a cross-border payment platform that specifically allows users to make low-cost instant transfers and payments between Africa and other regions, filling the gaps of many other payment platforms.

What kind of gambling games do Nigerians like?

• 32.89% bet on sports several times a week;
• 5.06% bet on sports once a month;
• 22.07% bet on sports a few times a year or less.”

Summary

Although the gambling industry in Nigeria is gaining popularity and attracting a large number of investors and players, we still need to seriously consider some of the problems that gambling platforms will face when entering a new gambling market. For example:

Language:The official language is English. However, their main ethnic languages ​​are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, which cannot be ignored. After all, not everyone in Nigeria can speak English, and the ethnic usage rate is also very high. Therefore, when some gambling operators enter Nigeria, language localization is inevitable. A professional interface that users can recognize at a glance is one of the factors that make users feel trust.

Religion:In Nigeria, 50% believe in Islam, 40% believe in Christianity, and 10% believe in other religions. These different religious groups have great differences in what they accept, even in terms of color. For example, most countries in North Africa avoid using dogs as product marks. Some countries in South Africa like owls. Africans generally believe that black is unlucky, while Chad, Nigeria, Togo, and other countries believe that red is unlucky. Most Africans like bright colors. Therefore, these details are things that a gambling platform operator has to consider, and this also considers the experience of the white label iGaming company. A white label iGaming company with rich experience will consider these and localize various elements, so that the gambling platform can seamlessly enter the new gambling market, making gambling players feel uncomfortable.

Of course, when operating a gambling platform, there are many details that need to be paid attention to and considered, and this is where we at TC-Gaming hope to serve you. We are a one-stop white label iGaming service provider that has been deeply involved in the gambling industry for 16 years and has accumulated rich experience and expertise.

Our service design goal is to help gambling operators save time and energy and open gambling sites in the shortest possible time. In just 10 minutes, you can have your own gambling platform, which is the embodiment of our efficient service.

In addition, we also provide a multilingual service module, with 12 local language experts involved in translation and interface design. Their expertise and experience will ensure that your gambling platform website can convey information to the target gambling market in the most effective way.

Our goal is to help you enter your target gambling market quickly and seamlessly. In this process, we will go all out to provide all the support you need. Choose TC-Gaming, we will become your best partner in the overseas gambling market and share the joy of success.