In the third quarter of 2023, WhatsApp was the most popular social media platform in Nigeria. It was mentioned by over 95 percent of internet users in the country aged 16 to 64 years. In absolute terms, the number of people using WhatsApp was estimated at approximately 8.8 million for the full year 2023.
Social media platforms with most users
The count of Facebook users in Nigeria significantly exceeded that of WhatsApp in 2022. In that year, Facebook users were expected to add up to slightly over 36 million, representing a user penetration rate of around 16.7 percent. Moreover, considering the count of users, around 26 million people were potentially reachable by online advertisers on Facebook. YouTube was another popular social network used by residents in Nigeria. Individuals who used the platform were forecast at nearly 6.7 million in 2022.
Increasing overall social media usage
In recent years, the number of social media users in Nigeria has been on the rise. As of 2022, social media users in the country reached roughly 34 million in total, expanding from the 18 million individuals registered in 2017. On the basis that this increasing trend keeps stable, it is expected that, by 2025, over 90 million people will use at least one social media platform in Nigeria. Overall, the most followed network accounts are those of friends, family, and people known by the social media user
