Top Best Nigeria VPN in 2023

Nigeria is the largest country in Africa and also one of the most connected. Over 89 million citizens have online access, and 167 million mobile phones are in use every day. With so many people on wireless networks, it’s no surprise that there are security risks every time you use the Internet.

The West African nation has a turbulent political and religious history, which has led to many types of censorship. While there are technically no censorship laws in Nigeria, a list of oppressive policies do affect Internet usage. Furthermore, Internet users that log onto public WiFi systems throughout the country are vulnerable to cyberattacks.

The use of a VPN can help with censorship and cybersecurity, but is it necessary to use a VPN in Nigeria? In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the online landscape in Nigeria and give insight into this question.

Is it Legal to Use a VPN in Nigeria?

If the freedom of speech is protected by the constitution, then why do you need a Nigeria VPN? One reason is government surveillance. With so much of the population online, the government uses surveillance tactics to acquire information about its citizens.

The government is also beginning to invoke heavy censorship laws. These regulations are in addition to the already oppressive laws against the LGBT community.

Homosexuality is illegal in Nigeria. In the twelve northern states that have adopted Sharia Law, the punishment is death by stoning.

In the more progressive south, the maximum punishment is 14 years in prison. If you want to access any content that has LGBT themes, you need to use a VPN. The consequences can be serious and if your information is not private, you will not be protected.

There is also a large amount of corruption throughout the country. In a recent study, Nigeria ranks 146 out of 180 countries in terms of corruption. It’s important to make sure that you take steps to encrypt your information. One of the only ways to ensure privacy in Nigeria is to use a Nigeria VPN.

Protection on Public WiFi Networks

There have been many initiatives to install free public WiFi throughout the country. The goal is to provide ways for the population to access the Internet. In the city of Lagos, there are initiatives to provide free access to schools, parks, and public places. Google also has a program that offers free public WiFi. Currently, there are over 200 free WiFi locations in five of Nigeria’s biggest cities.

You should always use a Nigeria VPN when using public WiFi regardless of your location. Your information is vulnerable when you log onto these networks. Without a Nigeria VPN, you give hackers an easy way to steal your information. They do this by hijacking data as it is transmitted between your device and the hotspot that you wish to connect to.

During this process, your information is re-routed to another location without your knowledge. Without cybersecurity in place, your data and IP address can be compromised. It is recommended to always use a Nigeria VPN when logging into public WiFi, especially in Nigeria.

Censorship

On paper, there is no Internet censorship in Nigeria. Political, social media and adult sites are technically legal to access. Pirate Bay is not restricted. The country also doesn’t belong to any data sharing organizations such as 14 Eyes.

However, the government conducts surveillance of its citizens and so this is not entirely true. We already mentioned the serious threats that the LGBT community faces. There is also serious ongoing religious and political conflict. Many people have simply learned to self-censor. Depending on your views and values, you could be watched every time you go online.

It is imperative to use a Nigeria VPN to set up a buffer between you and whoever it is that wants to track your online behavior. Rather than wait until a problem arises, take preventative measures and use a Nigeria VPN when you access the Internet in Nigeria.

Why Use a VPN in Nigeria?

If the freedom of speech is protected by the constitution, then why do you need a Nigeria VPN? One reason is government surveillance. With so much of the population online, the government uses surveillance tactics to acquire information about its citizens.

The government is also beginning to invoke heavy censorship laws. These regulations are in addition to the already oppressive laws against the LGBT community.

Homosexuality is illegal in Nigeria. In the twelve northern states that have adopted Sharia Law, the punishment is death by stoning. In the more progressive south, the maximum punishment is 14 years in prison. If you want to access any content that has LGBT themes, you need to use a VPN. The consequences can be serious and if your information is not private, you will not be protected.

There is also a large amount of corruption throughout the country. In a recent study, Nigeria ranks 146 out of 180 countries in terms of corruption. It’s important to make sure that you take steps to encrypt your information. One of the only ways to ensure privacy in Nigeria is to use a VPN. The best VPN in Nigeria can help you secure your data and keep you privacy protected.

Internet Speed and VPN Accessibility

With so much of the Nigerian population online, it is surprising that the Internet speed is so slow. Connection speeds are low, even though the country continues to have more subscribers who use 3G and 4G technologies. Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index compiles a list of rankings for worldwide Internet speeds. As of February 2019, Nigeria ranks 107th in terms of mobile Internet download speed.

Average Connection Speeds

The average fixed broadband download speed in Nigeria is between 9 -10 megabits per second (Mbps). The average upload speed is 8.74 Mbps. These speeds continue to drop month to month which can create a frustrating online experience. While the use of a Nigeria VPN does not by default improve your speeds, it will allow you to access servers in other countries. By doing this, you can circumvent bandwidth throttling that might be in place by local Internet service providers.

VPN Servers in Nigeria

While there are VPN servers available in Nigeria, there are not many options if you want to use a local IP address. But if your goal is to prevent government surveillance, then you shouldn’t use a local IP anyway. An address located inside of Nigeria will not effectively block your online behavior.

There are a few providers that have dedicated VPN servers located in the country. Many VPNs, however, use virtual servers instead of physical ones, which can lead to slower connections. 

Features of a Quality VPN

Fast speeds, multiple servers, and a no-logging policy are features you should look for when choosing a VPN to use in Nigeria. One of the most important is a strong encryption of data. Because of threats that come directly from the government, anonymity online is key. A Nigeria VPN that has strong encryption policies will usually conduct multi-hopping. Multi-hopping encrypts your connection across two or more servers. Routing your Internet traffic this way gives you additional privacy, even if your server becomes vulnerable.

Internet connections in Nigeria are unreliable, so fast speeds are also something to look for. If you want to use a VPN to access geo-restricted streaming content, you will likely experience buffering and latency. A fast VPN helps to limit slow loading times by not adding additional latency. The best VPN in Nigeria can protect your privacy and keep your data secure.

The government also conducts surveillance, so make sure the VPN you use does not keep your data.

Wrapping Up

Although there are no official censorship laws in place, it’s advisable to use a VPN when going online in Nigeria. VPNs are completely legal and can protect you from oppressive laws and government surveillance. The rise of free public WiFi will only lead to more attempts by hackers to steal personal information.

Many quality VPNs can provide you with an extra layer of security and encrypt data that might create serious problems if it falls into the wrong hands. Protect your data with the best VPN in Nigeria.