How Smart Tech Is Making Itself At Home In Nigeria

By Alicia Rennoll

With the global smart home tech market booming – its value is set to reach over USD 150 billion by 2024 – future-focussed Nigerian businesses, homeowners, and innovators are working to maximize and enjoy these developments closer to home.

Contributing to the market’s growth is the country’s better than expected broadband penetration, currently standing at 33%, plus industry leaders’ commitment to rolling out 5G by 2020. So how is smart tech currently helping Nigeria’s homes, and what might the future hold?

Boosting the economy

When used as a real estate tool, smart home tech actually has the power to contribute significantly to the economy as a whole, improving the outlook for millions of Nigerians.

As the country’s real estate prices show signs of growth, smart tech can help with marketing property to potential buyers and investors all over the world.

By harnessing existing technology for producing virtual floorplans and design options to attract clients on a much wider scale, homeowners will have better opportunities to sell, encouraging social mobility and fuelling market growth.

Putting control at your fingertips

At present, an estimated 25-40 million Nigerians are smartphone users, and this number is set to triple within the next five years.

From global brands such as Apple, Samsung and Nokia, to more localized options such as Tecno, Infinix and iTel, for those who are yet to commit to a smartphone, there’s no shortage of choice.

This gives many people the opportunity to embrace smart home innovations and control certain features of their lifestyle at the touch of a button.

Speak-easy

Smart speakers have been perhaps the most appealing home tech items for Nigeria’s early adopters, with 75% of all smart speaker owners buying them within the last year.

Attractive due to their versatility and relatively low price points, Google in particular has seen its Home products proving perhaps unexpectedly popular in this region.

With a wide range of uses from healthcare to traffic reports, the smart speaker is the item of home tech you are most likely to spot in a Nigerian household.

Safer homes and neighborhoods

For those for whom money is no object, smart tech has improved home security options immeasurably; one Abuja resident even enjoys peace of mind with touch controlled motorized shutters and biometric access operated via a smart hub.

For those with a slightly more everyday budget, smart tech is still making huge advances. Smart doorbells, for example, allow you to see who is calling at your door, even if you’re not on the premises. This can be a handy deterrent for would-be burglars.

While the necessary infrastructure is still being developed, Nigeria has much to be positive about when it comes to the smart home tech market.

From a broad range of smartphones to entry-level smart speakers and high end security systems, there is innovation within reach of most budgets.

Taking a birds eye view of the economy as a whole, smart home design tools also have the power to help the real estate sector soar. Thanks to smart home tech, Nigeria can look forward to a future that’s flying high.