After a difficult year marked by currency instability and rising device prices, Nigeria’s smartphone market is finally regaining momentum. New data from technology market research firm Omdia shows that smartphone shipments into the country surged by 29 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2025, signalling a strong recovery after the slowdown experienced in 2024.

The rebound in Nigeria played a major role in lifting Africa’s overall smartphone market, which grew by 24 percent during the same period. This marked the end of five consecutive quarters of shipment declines across the continent. On a global level, the smartphone market expanded by a modest three percent, placing Nigeria among the standout emerging markets driving worldwide growth.

According to Omdia, the primary factor behind Nigeria’s renewed performance is the stabilisation of the naira. The steep currency depreciation in 2024 significantly inflated device prices and disrupted imports, making smartphones less attainable for everyday buyers and forcing vendors to limit supply. In contrast, the greater exchange rate stability in 2025 restored market confidence, allowing vendors to plan more effectively and resume steady shipment volumes while encouraging consumers to return to purchase decisions that had previously been postponed.

Omdia noted that smartphone manufacturers and distributors quickly adjusted their strategies in response to improving conditions. With currency risk reduced, vendors accelerated imports and shifted heavier attention toward lower-priced devices, which are in the highest demand among Nigerian consumers. 

This approach led to exceptional growth in the sub-US$100 category, which recorded a 57 percent increase in shipments compared to the same period in 2024. A refreshed lineup of entry-level models helped stimulate activity, particularly from brands within the Transsion group, including TECNO, Infinix and itel, whose phones dominate the affordable segment. The availability of these new devices encouraged upgrades across Nigeria’s large, youthful and highly price-sensitive customer base.

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Growth in the Nigerian smartphone market was not limited to entry-level devices alone. Omdia observed that the premium segment also performed strongly, reflecting the country’s increasingly dual-layered market structure. Smartphones priced above US$500 posted a 52 percent increase in shipments during the quarter. 

This demonstrates that while the mass market continues to depend on affordability and access, there remains a steady appetite for premium products among higher-income consumers. Brands such as Apple and Samsung benefited from this sustained demand for flagship devices, showing that luxury technology purchases remain resilient even during periods of wider economic pressure.

Nigeria’s strong Q3 showing also strengthened the broader African recovery narrative. With most key markets posting positive growth, the continent recorded its strongest performance in more than a year. Algeria was cited as the only major market where expansion remained relatively muted, while other countries contributed more substantially to the regional upturn.

Beyond Africa, Omdia highlighted developments in the Middle East, which also experienced strong growth during 2025. Despite this momentum, the research firm expects conditions in that region to tighten in 2026, projecting market growth to slow to around one percent as rising component costs and continuing supply constraints begin to weigh on manufacturers and distributors.

Globally, the outlook for mid-range and premium smartphones remains positive despite these challenges. Omdia pointed to strong gains by manufacturer HONOR in the Middle East, which achieved shipment growth of 128 percent, as well as Apple’s return to double-digit global growth at 14 percent, as evidence that consumers worldwide continue to prioritise device upgrades even while navigating economic uncertainty.

Taken together, the Q3 2025 results underline Nigeria’s evolving position as one of the most important growth engines for smartphone adoption in Africa and across emerging markets. The recovery highlights the direct relationship between currency stability and consumer technology spending, demonstrating how improved economic predictability can quickly revive demand, boost imports and restore confidence among both vendors and buyers.

Cynthia Nwanonyiri