How well are Nigerian apps doing in 2018? We compare the numbers

The mobile sector in Nigeria has been one of the country’s most vibrant, but for a long time, Nigerian apps were not raking in appreciable numbers. Foreign apps like Facebook, Blackberry Messenger, 2Go and others, were the ones with visibility.

Eventually, Nigerian bank apps took off too, registering hundreds of thousands and millions of downloads and installs. The other sectors were largely left behind.

But this is 2018, and a lot has changed. Banks are not the only Nigerian apps hitting the big numbers any more. The question is, which apps have hit the big stage, and what sectors do they belong to?

The Top Nigerian Apps By Sector

In curating this list, I looked for the apps with the highest install figures in each sector in Google Play Store. iPhone install numbers in Nigeria are negligible, so they are not included. The idea is not to list all the available Nigerian apps but to see how those on the cutting edge are pushing the boundaries. That way, we get an idea of what the ceiling is in each sector for now. Nigerian bank apps have been excluded

Nigerian Bank Apps

GTBank: 1,000,000+

Zenith Bank mobile: 1,000,000+

Access Bank: 1,000,000+

UBA Mobile Banking: 1,000,000+

Diamond Mobile: 1,000,000+

First Mobile: 1,000,000+

Nigerian News Apps

BellaNaija: 10,000+

Linda Ikeji Blog: 100,000+

NaijaLoaded: 10,000+

Nigerian Music Apps

Tooxclusive.com: 1,000+

Nigerian Video Streaming Apps

IROKOtv: 1,000,000+

Linda Ikeji TV: 10,000+

The Afrinolly app has disappeared from the app store for quite a while now. I understand that Afrinolly pivoted and now run a creative hub in Lagos.

Nigerian Savings Apps

CowryWise: 10,000+

PiggyBank: 10,000+

Nigerian Loans Apps

PayLater: 1,000,000+

Nigerian Payments Apps

PocketMoni: 50,000+

Zoto**: 500,000+

Paga: 5,000+

Nigerian Ecommerce Apps

PayPorte: 10,000+

Konga Online Marketplace: 1,000,000+

Yudala: 10,000+

Nigerian Cinema Apps

MyFilmhouse: 1,000+

Genesis Deluxe Cinemas: 10,000+

Nigerian Investment Apps

MeriTrade: 1,000+

i-Invest: 10,000+

Nigerian Dating Apps

Flirt Naija: 10,000+

Nigerian Game Apps

Ayo: 500,000+

Nigerian Logistics Apps

Max NG: 10,000+

GoKada: 10,000+

Nigerian Tech Blog Apps

Geek.ng: 100+

Nigerian Radio Apps

Inspiration FM: 10,000+

Faaji FM: 10,000+

Fresh FM: 10,000+

Nigerian TV Apps

Channels 24: 100,000+

TVC News: 100,000+

Nigerian Book Apps

OkadaBooks: 1,000+

Conclusions

We see that apart from banking, e-commerce, video streaming and loans are where the big numbers are. iROKOtv, Konga and PayLater have crossed the million download mark. Gaming is where the next big number is, with Ayo app recording over 500,000 installs.

**Zoto has also crossed the million install mark, but the app stopped working same months ago. Word on the street is that it has kicked the bucket.

A million app installs by any app from the Play Store is a far cry from the billions and hundreds of millions that top global apps like Facebook and Twitter have, but it is a significant mark for Nigerian apps. This is a country with 38 million smartphones in the hands of 25 million users after all.

At the bottom of the pile are Nigerian tech blogs apps, which still struggle to ramp up significant numbers. Is it time for us all to pivot? 😀

Is there a Nigerian mobile app doing so well in its category that you feel should be on these lists? Are there other sectors that I left out? Kindly assist with that bit of information and I will; update this page with it.