App downloads record 320% growth as regional sales near N1b
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Nigeria’s app download has seen 320 per cent growth and is expected to grow further in the course of the year. This was revealed by the Director, Google West Africa, Olumide Balogun, who hinted that with N1 billion projected in app usage and purchases for 2025 across the continent, marketers in Nigeria cannot afford to ignore this wave.
Balogun revealed yesterday that at Google’s recent “Appcelerate” summit, top industry voices explored the central role of mobile apps in today’s marketing strategies.
Among the takeaways, according to him, was that Nigerians spend hours daily on mobile, with 80 per cent of that time in apps. He said Apps have moved from being optional extras to becoming the core of customer engagement, business efficiency, and innovation.
The Google Director said smartphone access is set to reach 880 million across Africa by 2030, saying monthly mobile data use is expected to triple.
“Nigeria is leading this digital surge, ranking 6th globally for app downloads, with a 320 per cent rise in just two years. This growth signals more than user numbers—it shows a market with deeper engagement, higher loyalty, and richer opportunities for businesses that tap into the app-driven economy,” he stated.
For marketers and business owners, Balogun said apps are now a key growth driver. He said the path forward is clear, understand what makes apps work and how to maximise their impact.
He listed seven ways Nigerian marketers can make the most of this app-led shift. These treat the customer journey as unified, focus on profitable app engagement, use apps as a goldmine for First-Party Data, measure holistically across web and app.
Others are turn web campaigns into app conversions, drive growth with Google Ads and app campaigns and make YouTube your discovery engine. On the Youtube stuff, Balogun noted that when it comes to discovering new apps and products, few platforms rival YouTube, saying with nearly two billion logged-in users every month, YouTube reaches audiences at scale, and it’s where people spend more than a billion hours each day watching video.
Making customer a priority, the Google Director said marketers should forget dividing their audience into “web customers” and “app customers.” He said Nigerian consumers move seamlessly from browser to app and back again, often in a single purchase journey.
“For example, someone might discover your brand via Google Search, browse your site, get distracted, then see your ad again. If they have your app, a click can bring them right back to their cart inside the app, ready to buy. Your marketing needs to reflect this reality, ensuring that the brand experience is integrated across all digital touch points, making it easier to convert potential customers wherever they start or finish,” he stated.
