Nigeria is setting the benchmark in Africa in the development of its online landscape, and it is working on ways to encourage lucrative industries in the country. Perhaps taking inspiration from the USA, where the fledgling iGaming industry has ballooned in a short space of time, Nigeria is looking to expand this sector over the next decade.
There have been some notable advances in recent years, and the rest of the continent is now scrambling to keep up with this early leader.
Nigeria Making Huge Strides Forward
Nigeria is the leading online market in Africa, with almost triple the number of internet users as its closest competitor, Egypt. There were 154.3 million people online in the west African country in 2020, while there were only 54.75 million in the northeastern nation at the same time. With so many people now able to access the internet, the government is putting the wheels in motion to allow online businesses to thrive in the region. The iGaming industry is seen as an important sector, as it is estimated that 60 million people enjoy gambling here. There are already 13 land-based casinos in the nation, and online variants of these will bring the games to a greater number of players.
The Nigerian government has been busy penning partnerships with major names in diverse areas of the online gambling industry and has worked on ways to attract more brands to the country. Many international names see Nigeria as a fertile landscape for investment and are keen to get involved with the rapidly growing iGaming sector here. Over the last few years, there have been countless sportsbooks and online casinos announcing deals in the country, and there will be many more as Nigeria continues to improve its internet infrastructure with the spread of 5G.
Looking to Replicate Successful Model of USA
Nigeria is aiming to replicate the successful models seen in other markets, and the USA is a perfect example to follow. The iGaming industry in the west has been flourishing for some time, but the USA was slightly late to the party. The sector has just started to blow up over there now, though, and it is generating massive revenue streams in the states that it is available in.
The USA has had to be careful in ensuring that players only have access to legal sites. Some can slip through the net, however, so players are wise to use aggregator pages that scour the web for the best real money online casinos. This is so that they know they are playing at legit sites with real offers. The powers that be in Nigeria that control the iGaming industry are likely to encourage the growth of real money casinos, as these have proven to be popular in the USA.
The Nigerian government is advancing the iGaming industry in the country by improving the internet and its accessibility and adjusting its legislation to allow sites to operate in the country. It is marketing itself to international companies as a ripe country for investment and leading the way across the continent in this regard.
