Business
Is Cyber Café Losing Business To Smartphones?
Few years ago, run
ning a cyber café was still highly profitable in Nigeria, while many people were attracted to that business.
Today, the story is different; many cyber café operators can hardly make ends meet, while those who cannot persevere have left the business.
The reason, according to computer analysts, is the rise in smartphones, as people now access the internet from the comfort of their rooms.
“Internet cafes across the developing world, including Nigeria are reporting dwindling numbers of customers as smartphones make the mobile web less attractive.
“After all, why pay for web access on someone else’s old PC when you can access Facebook and other internet facilities on your smartphone device from anywhere you like? Mr Maxwell Okechukwu, an ICT expert, asked.
A Lagos based Information Technologist, Mr Oluwaseun Adeboye, however said that a recent study showed that people had continued to rely on public venues like the cafes to access the web.
According to him, a five-year study released by the University of Washington in July, 2013, shows that web users continue to rely on public venues for web access even when smart phones are available.
“One technology does not replace the other and smartphone will not solve the access problems,’’ Adeboye said.
But many cyber café operators complained that the emergence of smartphones had greatly reduced the number of people patronising their services.
Mr Kunle Aribisala, who has been in the cyber café business for seven years, said that patronage was low in recent times.
The 36-year-old Aribisala, has a cyber café with 10 computers in Osogbo, Osun State.
“Making money was easy in the beginning, when there were not so many home computers or smartphones.
“It has become more and more difficult to attract consumers. People would rather play with their smartphones,” he said.
Sharing similar sentiments, a café operator in Ibadan, Mr Tunde Iyiola, said many people now preferred to use their smartphones to browse rather than visit a cyber café.
“Although, we enjoy a reasonable level of power supply in this area, many people prefer to browse on their smartphones.
“The only time people come to the café is when they want to scan a document or do a print out,’’ he said.
Another operator, Mr Kazeem Hammed, said he was planning to close his shop for another business due to low patronage.
Hammed said that many people had resorted to the use of smartphones rather than visit a café, adding that the practice was not encouraging the business.
“The golden days have passed. It is impossible to earn money easily like we did in the past.
“The few people that come to café once in a while are the university candidates who want to print out their admission letters or scan a document. This is not too good for the business.
“ The cyber cafes are not so attractive to the users as they used to be since most of their functions have been replaced by mobile internet devices,“ Hammed said.
Another operator, Mrs Ibironke Isiaka,said cyber café was a lucrative business before the advent of smartphones.
“You know technology is improving every day. Most people now use their phones to browse, and indeed, I do not see any reason why they should patronise the café again,’’ she said.
Analysts say that many people now prefer to use their smartphones because they are cheaper and more convenient.
Miss Chisom Maduike, said that she bought only N1,000 data plan for a month to browse.
“My smartphones can satisfy my needs, why should I visit a café?
“It saves extra cost and provide me with the comfort and ease to do whatever I want, ‘’Maduike said.
A student of Osun State University, Emmanuel Oladipupo, said after buying a smartphone a year ago, he stopped visiting cyber cafes.
“I can play games and get news on my phone. Then why visiting cyber café again?
“Besides, these phones have the option of Wi-Fi and USB tethering; a person can connect his or her laptop/computer with the phone and surf the internet.
“Also, facebook, twitter, gmail, nimbuzz, all these services are present in a mobile phone (even a feature phone), thereby reducing the need to go to a cyber café on a regular basis.
“ My colleagues will rather play video games on their phones than go to a cyber café because it’s more convenient and cheaper.
“Most of my classmates have computers, and we need not go to the cyber café to search online information like our predecessors did,” he said.
Also speaking, a journalist, Mr Kolawole Idowu, said the internet on smartphones was always on, be it GPRS or 3G.
“If the pack is good enough, a person does not have to worry about spending any extra money on cyber café since they have become similar to broadband.
“Also the price of an hour in a cyber cafe is about N140, whereas a subscription on smartphone is about N1, 000 per month.
“This means that to subscribe on smartphone is cheaper than to visit a café,“ Idowu said.
As experts say, “ one technology does not replace the other,’’ cyber café operators should exploit their areas of comparative advantage in order to remain in business.
Adeoti is a staff of News Agency of Nigeria.
Victor Adeoti
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh said this at the 8th annual induction and conference of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN).
He explained that abandoned projects continue to lock up public funds that could have been used for infrastructure development, industrial growth, job creation and essential social services.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, he said the impact goes beyond financial losses, as incomplete projects affect communities and limit access to important public services
He cited examples of that remain unopened, schools that cannot accommodate students, roads that fail to connect communities and electricity projects that have not delivered their intended benefits.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, also identified poor project management as a major challenge affecting development in Nigeria.
He revealed that the institute had developed a project management curriculum for Nigerian universities, which has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC). The programme is expected to enable universities to offer project management as a bachelor’s degree.
Mbadiwe further referenced findings by the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, which identified 11,886 ongoing federal capital projects in 2011, with an estimated financial commitment of ?7.78 trillion.
He noted that inadequate planning, supervision, accountability and implementation were among the factors contributing to the abandonment of projects across the country.
The minister called for stronger project management structures across ministries, departments and agencies to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had introduced a 90-day implementation reporting cycle to strengthen transparency and monitor the progress of government programmes.
Ikenga said the company remained committed to Nigeria’s power sector and would continue investing in its operations despite the challenging business environment.
He spoke in Lagos at the third edition of the Shell Power Conference, themed “Powering Nigeria’s Progress: Turning Ambition and Action into Sustainable Impact”.
The Transcorp Power chief said the company would sustain electricity generation, invest in its facilities and deliver value to shareholders.
“Transcorp Power is a long-term player, not a short-term player. This year has been challenging, but what is important is getting power to schools, hospitals and businesses to power progress,” he said.
Ikenga said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and investment had strengthened its contribution to Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He disclosed that since acquiring the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State in 2013, Transcorp Power had quadrupled its available generation capacity.
He also said the company became the first privatised power generation firm to receive a post-privatisation discharge certificate after fulfilling all its privatisation obligations.
The company’s unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, showed a profit before tax of N83.1 billion, while its profit-before-tax margin rose to 31.2 per cent from 29.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Its total assets rose to 11.7 per cent amounting to N629.5 billion, while shareholders’ funds grew 8.9 per cent to N199.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents also rose to N10.3 billion, supported by improved collections.
On the company’s contribution to grid stability, Ikenga said Transcorp Power’s black-start capability enabled it to restart operations without relying on electricity from the national grid.
He explained that the capability allowed the company to support power restoration following grid disturbances, helping to restore electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Ikenga noted that Nigeria had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, with an estimated potential of 50 gigawatts, adding that realising the potential would require effective coordination across the entire value chain.
“Everything in the value chain has to work,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators and private-sector operators, alongside increased private investment, to build a sustainable electricity market.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Maryann Duke.
The statement said Oyedele pointed to “improved digital systems, including electronic invoicing, as a key driver behind a record of N33tn in government revenue collected between January and October 2026.”
The minister said the performance demonstrated the potential of technology to improve revenue administration, strengthen compliance and increase efficiency across government institutions.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation,’ Oyedele warned that Nigeria risked losing substantial economic opportunities if it continued to depend heavily on foreign digital infrastructure.
Citing Nigerian Communications Commission figures, he disclosed that the country recorded more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
He explained that these connections generated significant volumes of information through financial transactions, healthcare, education and taxation.
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He clarified that digital sovereignty should not translate into technological isolation but should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate competitively in international markets.
Addressing graduating students, Oyedele urged young Nigerians to become developers of technological solutions rather than remain primarily consumers of products created elsewhere.
He identified artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and an opportunity for innovation, advising graduates to acquire relevant digital skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, sound judgement and integrity.
The minister also cautioned against irresponsible online behaviour, explaining that digital footprints increasingly influence employment prospects, commercial relationships and professional credibility.
Oyedele outlined five priorities for graduates, including continuous learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in national development.
“Your degree is evidence of what you have learned. Your competence will demonstrate what you can do. Your character will reveal who you truly are,” he told the graduating students.
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