Southern Nigeria Urban

When there is access, use is likely to be limited to making and receiving calls on the phone.

Uses phones to maintain contact with family members as well as customers and suppliers, if they are working. For some this may include WhatsApp based communication, especially voice notes. Some may rely on messaging when airtime is low or inconsistent.

Uses multiple platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, and others to maintain both personal and professional networks. May communicate through text, voice, images, and video.

May listen to the radio and play simple mobile games on shared devices.

Primarily consumes content passively and largely offline, including videos, games, and media shared via Xender, Bluetooth, or memory cards, and sometimes WhatsApp. May use the phone as an additional screen alongside television or other media.

Actively engages on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube by posting, browsing, and interacting with content.

Lack of sustained access severely restricts learning opportunities

Learning opportunities are limited. Use is not typically oriented toward intentional information-seeking or skill development. May find information via WhatsApp groups.

Actively searches on platforms such as Google, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook to find specific information. May take structured online courses (e.g., Coursera) to build functional skills and uses video platforms for goal-oriented learning.

May occasionally use digital finance via point of sale agents and others in their networks.

Uses USSD to make and receive payments.

Uses OPAY to track and manage financial transactions and is confident using digital payments for business-related activities.

Use does not extend to self-promotion or personal expression.

Use does not extend to self-promotion or personal expression.

Uses platforms such as Facebook and TikTok to share photos and personal experiences. Actively curates her online presence and engages with content across platforms. Uses WhatsApp as a form of informal self-presentation or ​“visiting card” to access work or business opportunities.

Does not typically engage in financial or health tracking on digital devices.

Does not typically engage in financial or health tracking on digital devices.

May use specific apps such as Flo to track reproductive health or pregnancy.

Little to no exposure as a child combined with limited literacy likely makes learning digital a struggle.

Limited early exposure combined with moderate levels of literacy and education can make learning less intuitive and require persistence.

Confident in her ability to learn independently and may rarely need or seek help. Early exposure, familiarity with digital and high literacy can make many digital interactions feel intuitive.

May require sustained, repeated demonstrations over longer periods to learn. However, lack of sustained device access will limit opportunities.

Likely learns out of necessity, relying on demonstration and repetition to learn new tasks.

Tends to learn independently through observation, experimentation, and trial and error.

Limited and disrupted access likely means that learned skills are not maintained, requiring continued support.

Has likely learnt a limited set of skills needed for her livelihood. Anything beyond that will likely require support and sustained teaching. Data-led use (rare) will require handholding from facilitators.

Generally an independent user, but may need help with more complex tasks such as setting up social media or iCloud accounts, or configuring services like OPAY as well as complex troubleshooting.

Facilitation is crucial for most tasks but may lack access to reliable facilitators alongside devices.

Facilitation often begins only after acquiring her own device and may be intermittent.

Likely received facilitation early in life, contributing to familiarity and confidence with digital devices. May be aware of and able to access structured digital training opportunities.

May experience a general sense of fear or discomfort around digital spaces, which can lead to avoidance. Digital environments may be perceived as unsafe or risky, especially with obscenity and fraud.

Likely aware of common threats and may have heard about negative experiences around obscenity and fraud within her network.

Aware of digital risks and may feel confident in her ability to manage them. May face a wider range of threats, including scams, privacy violations, or identity misuse, with broader and more sophisticated digital use.

Digital risk may not be actively managed, as use remains limited or is avoided altogether.

Likely to continue using digital tools, but may reduce or restrict engagement if threats persist or feel difficult to manage.

Confidence in her ability to navigate digital risks may allow her to continue using digital spaces actively, though with caution.

Likely had very limited exposure to phones early in life, with little or no access during childhood.

Unlikely to have had her own phone in childhood but may have accessed phones belonging to parents or older siblings.

May have shared phones with parents or siblings during childhood. May have also received her own phone from parents later on, often framed as supporting education or learning.

Are very unlikely to have sustained access to their own devices.

Women are more likely to depend on others, such as husbands, partners, sponsors, or older brothers, for access. This reliance can limit autonomy, with some women using hand-me-down devices or phones acquired without their input.

Women may actively purchase phones using personal savings, income, or instalment plans, with choices reflecting aspirations for particular brands or models. Almost certain to have a smartphone.

Device access is mostly dependent on others and thus they could go for long periods without access to airtime. 

Airtime and data (rarely) may be provisioned intermittently, often by a family member, resulting in periodic gaps in access.

May access data independently or temporarily through borrowing, such as hotspot sharing from family, friends or extended networks. As a result, experiences of being without data may be less frequent and shorter in duration.

Limited device access is likely accompanied by airtime scarcity, making disruptions to access the norm.

Recurring costs such as airtime and rarely data are a frequent source of disruption. She may actively manage usage to avoid depletion, with interruptions occurring when she has to wait for top-ups.

Managing recurring costs such as data and airtime is important, as use is more data-dependent. She may experience gaps in access, but these are often shorter or less disruptive due to relatively greater financial means and social capacity to mitigate interruptions.

Are unlikely to have sustained access to reliable devices

Likely to rely on faulty or second-hand phones, leading to a higher incidence of breakdowns. Repairs can be costly and may result in extended periods of disrupted use.

Likely to have more reliable devices that break down less frequently. She may also have greater capacity to repair or replace devices, resulting in shorter and less frequent gaps in access.