Lagos ranked 40th in Ericsson networked society city index

Latest Ericsson City Index for 2016 report published yesterday has ranked Lagos 40th in the Network Society City Index.

The report also named Stockholm as the top-ranking city in the Networked Society City Index 2016, followed by London, Copenhagen, Singapore and Paris.

The index measures the performance of 41 cities from around the world from two perspectives, sustainable urban development and ICT maturity.

This year, key African cities like Lagos, Nigeria and Johannesburg, South Africa, are listed in in the report
Signs of improvement in the Networked Society City Index are evident in Lagos, Karachi, Delhi, Jakarta, Manila, and Johannesburg

Nigeria’s infrastructure, according to the report is regarded as a major constraint facing businesses in the country.

Internet access in the city, the report indicated is expensive compared with Gross Domestic Product, GDP, per capita, and the penetration rate for smartphones and computers is low.
On the other hand, internet usage and electronic payments, according to the report score reasonably well considering the weak ICT infrastructure.

Lagos, according to the report, has a low ranking in the social dimension of the index. “The biggest challenge lies in health factors, as the city has the highest infant mortality rate and the lowest life expectancy out of all index cities. The literacy rate is also very low, as is the rate of education attainment”, the report added.

Despite its fast-growing economy, Lagos, the report revealed performs poorly in the economic dimension.
“GDP per capita is very low, and the city faces several challenges to strengthen its economic competitiveness. The share of employment in knowledge-intensive sectors remains low, and few citizens have attained tertiary education. The number of new enterprises per capita is somewhat better, although still below the index average”, the report said.

According to the report, Lagos’s largest challenge lies in pollution, where it ranks lowest of all index cities.
” Air quality is well below average. NO2 and SO2 emissions are among the highest out of all ICT cities. Lagos’ relative strengths are its low CO2 emissions, low energy consumption, and low consumption of fossil fuels”, the report said.
ICT infrastructure

Further findings from the report revealed that Lagos faced several challenges related to ICT infrastructure.
Few people, according to the report have access to the internet through either broadband or Wi-Fi hotspots, and the quality of both fixed and mobile broadband is very low.
ICT affordability

“Price levels in relation to income in Lagos are the highest out of all index cities. Tariffs for both fixed broadband and mobile cellular traffic are very expensive compared with GDP per capita. IP transit prices for international traffic are also higher than the index average”, the report revealed.

ICT usage. Although Lagos presents a low score in ICT usage, the results, according to the report could be worse given the city’s poor performance in the infrastructure and affordability dimensions.

While ICT maturity improvement between 2014 through 2016 is very high, the report added that, “Lagos’ biggest challenge lies in its low penetration rate for computers, smartphones, and tablets coupled with few mobile phone subscriptions. The results for internet usage and electronic payments are better, but still remain well below the index average”.

The 2016 edition of the Networked Society City Index has been developed by Ericsson in collaboration with Sweco, a leading consultancy firm specializing in sustainable development.