Market News

by Lucas Ajanaku

Nigeria has emerged as a powerhouse in the global smartphone recovery, registering a massive 29 per cent surge in shipments in the third quarter  of 2025. This dramatic rebound, highlighted in a new report by technology market analyst firm Omdia, signifies a major turnaround for the country after a challenging period of currency volatility in 2024.

The performance significantly contributed to Africa’s overall 24 per cent growth in smartphone shipments, which ended five quarters of decline across the continent. Globally, the smartphone market saw a modest three per cent growth, positioning Nigeria’s recovery as a key driver for emerging markets.

According to the Omdia report, the primary catalyst for Nigeria’s exceptional growth was the stabilisation of the Naira. Following a sharp currency decline in 2024 that caused device prices to skyrocket and shipments to slow drastically, the relative steadiness of the local currency in 2025 provided the predictability needed for both vendors and consumers.

With the reduced risk from currency swings, vendors immediately accelerated imports, heavily focusing on affordable devices.

The sub-$100 segment experienced an astronomical 57per cent growth, driven by a refreshed portfolio of entry-level models. This strategic focus by brands like Transsion (TECNO, Infinix, itel) spurred a major upgrade cycle among Nigeria’s large, youthful, and price-sensitive consumer base.

Nigeria’s third quarter 2025 growth was notable for its strength at both ends of the price spectrum, illustrating a resilient, two-layered market dynamic:

The premium segment (above $500) also showed impressive resilience, growing by 52per cent. This indicates that while the mass market is driven by affordability and first-time smartphone adoption, affluent Nigerian consumers continue to engage in luxury and high-end purchases, driving revenue for brands like Apple and Samsung.

The Nigerian surge helped the wider African market achieve a strong 24per cent year-on-year growth, signaling a continent-wide recovery in most key markets, with only Algeria showing minor growth.

In contrast, the Middle East market, which also experienced strong growth in 2025, faces a slower outlook. Omdia projects the Middle East market growth to slow significantly to one per cent in 2026, primarily due to mounting component costs and supply constraints.

Despite these global supply challenges, the report notes that the mid-to-premium segment is expected to remain resilient worldwide, with upgrades continuing to be driven by major players. For the Middle East, vendor HONOR demonstrated strong growth (128per cent), while global giant Apple returned to double-digit growth (14per cent), reflecting the global consumer’s willingness to invest in premium devices despite economic headwinds.

In sum, Q3 2025 has cemented Nigeria’s role as a critical growth engine for the African, and indeed global, smartphone market, proving the powerful impact of currency stability on consumer technology adoption in emerging economies.