Find Computing and Office Supplies expertise in Nigeria

In Nigeria there are approximately 15.7 PCs per 1000 people (2009). The rate of PC penetration has more than doubled since the beginning of the millennium; in 2004 there were a mere 6.3 PCs per 1000 people. The rate of PC penetration has blossomed in other West African countries too, but to varying extents. In 2009, the PC penetration in Togo was more than 36.3 per 1000 people, compared to 9.3 in Benin and 1.0 in Niger.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report (2011-2012) there are 284 internet users in Nigeria per 1000 people (2010). This is lower than a number of northern African countries such as Morocco (490) and Tunisia (368), but considerably higher than in neighbouring Cameroon (40) and the West African countries of Senegal (160), Ghana (86), Benin (31) and Cote d’Ivoire (26).

In 2012, services contributed 31% to Nigeria’s overall GDP; this sector thus requires a fairly substantial computing and office supplies market. Indigenous computer hardware firms include Omatek Computers, which has offices in Lagos, Abuja and Kano. Omatek was one of the first factories to locally assemble computer cases, speakers, keyboards and mouse in Africa.

An independent study in 2004 estimated that there are between 130 and 150 software firms active in the industry, mostly concentrated in the south-west of Nigeria and virtually all private-owned. Most of these companies are small, with between 11 and 50 members of staff. The work they do focuses on the provision of services like installation, customisation and training related to imported packages. Some indigenous software companies, such as Computer Warehouse, also do business in the Ghanaian and the wider West African software industry.

In early 2012 Nigeria’s federal government banned the purchase of foreign computers and technology products in public institutions and schools in an effort to bolster the indigenous ICT industry. Despite this law, a number of multinational companies are still able to operate in Nigeria. IBM, one the world’s largest IT and consulting services company, operates in 170 countries including Nigeria.

The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) is a non-profit organisation and was formed in 1999 with the primary aim of catalysing the development of the software-driven IT industry in Nigeria. The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), formed in 1978, is the umbrella organisation of information technology professionals, interest groups and stakeholders in Nigeria. It aims to advance information technology science and practice in the country. There are numerous office supplies companies in Nigeria, mostly based in the main urban centres such as Lagos and Abuja. These companies cater for a wider market than just offices, for instance stationary for schools.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report (2011-2012) Nigeria was ranked at 107th out of 142 countries in terms of the availability of the latest technologies. Its score of 4.4 is 0.6 below the world’s average, which means the latest technologies can be bought but are not widely available.

The ability of Nigeria’s businesses to absorb new technology was ranked at 79th. Its score of 4.7 in this area is a mere 0.1 below the world’s average, and in this respect Nigeria thus outperforms a number of other West African countries. 

In terms of how well the government fosters technological innovation, Nigeria is ranked at 105. Its value of 3.2 is once more slightly under the world average of 3.6, which means that the Nigerian governmental support is relatively successful at fostering technological innovation.