Abuja — The International Telecoms Union (ITU) has ranked Nigeria as the largest online audience on the African continent and the 10th largest in the world. In a recent statistic by the telecom body, 39.6 per cent of all internet traffic from Africa is from Nigeria, about 29.8 per cent of the population accesses the Internet while 43.9 million Nigerians access the Internet, making Nigerians the largest online audience in Africa and 10th largest in the world.

Nigeria has a very active internet community, especially on social networking sites. Notably, Nigeria's population on Facebook hit over 1.2 million mark in March 2010 leading to the official launch of the popular networking site in Nigeria on April 30, 2010 in Lagos.

In another development, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) digital business division has scheduled to visit Nigeria on Monday to promote digital media opportunities.

The visit is aimed at exploring digital media opportunities that exist on BBC Internet and Mobile platform to Nigerian brands and advertising agencies. The BBC and its Nigerian representative, Wild Fusion, a Lagos based digital media company, would be visiting notable Nigerian companies and advertising agencies.

According to Isla Pitt Mc Leod, digital business development Manager, BBC Worldwide, "We know the opportunities that exist in the digital space and our visit to Nigeria is occasioned by the need to increase awareness on the media opportunities that exist on BBC digital platform (internet and mobile) because with over 10 million impressions monthly, Nigeria is the largest BBC Mobile audience by country in Africa."