Nigeria’s Major Highways Show Strong Mobile Coverage, But Dead Zones Remain
The analysis, covering approximately 292,000 km of primary, secondary, and trunk roads, found that major highways in southern and central Nigeria, including the Lagos-Abuja-Port Harcourt corridors, enjoy robust mobile signal coverage.
A new report by Ookla Advanced Analytics Services (AAS) highlights trends in mobile network coverage and signal quality across Nigeria’s road network, revealing both progress and gaps in connectivity for travelers.
The analysis, covering approximately 292,000 km of primary, secondary, and trunk roads, found that major highways in southern and central Nigeria, including the Lagos-Abuja-Port Harcourt corridors, enjoy robust mobile signal coverage. In contrast, northern border regions face significant areas of sparse coverage. While total network blackouts are rare, primary roads account for the largest “zero service” gaps, totaling 326 km, compared to only 51 km on trunk roads. Secondary and trunk roads generally offer strong coverage, though feeder routes remain more vulnerable to disconnection.
The report also evaluated operator performance along highways. Notably, mobile operator T2 outperformed larger legacy carriers, maintaining signals strictly within technical standards across monitored routes. Technical compliance was measured based on both signal strength and quality, with 4G emerging as the reliable standard for in-transit connectivity. Although 5G provides the strongest raw signals, its limited reach reduces its effectiveness on the move. Meanwhile, 3G continues to serve as a fallback, particularly in rural areas.
Road type analysis revealed that secondary roads recorded the highest technical compliance at 85.7%, likely due to their proximity to towns, while trunk roads, the major interstate highways, showed the lowest compliance at 79.1%. Analysts warned that high travel speeds on trunk roads, combined with lower coverage, increase the risk of dropped calls and interrupted data services for drivers.
The report recommended that consumers download offline maps and use 4G-enabled devices for the best in-transit experience. For the industry, it called for targeted network densification along primary and trunk roads to close coverage gaps, improve handovers at speed, and ensure seamless connectivity for road users.
