The impact of the recent global pandemic is multifaceted, affecting every aspect of human existence. Many studies conducted during this period have focused on the direct implications of the pandemic on human health and the economy, with only a few focusing on other possible implications. This survey aimed to elucidate the possible impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on internet addiction (IA) among university students in Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey, 202 students were randomly selected to fill the standardized internet addiction test (IAT) online. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. The respondents had an average age of 20.9±2.3 years and an average IAT score of 32.6±14.4, with the highest score being 79 out of 100. The majority of the students were categorized as normal internet users (45%), 42% as mildly addicted, and 13% as moderately addicted. None of the students were severely addicted. There were statistically significant associations derived between IA and income status (p=0.000), boredom (p=0.000), and Faculty of study (p=0.011). The results indicated that boredom was a key factor that had an impact on IA. The closure of schools, restriction of movement, reduced engagements, and seizures of allowances/stipends made the students vulnerable to IA.

The turn of the 21st century saw Nigeria liberalize its telecommunications sector with the deregulation of the industry, and the introduction of the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network platforms in the country. This move had an immediate positive socio-economic impact. Sectors like information technology, banking and finance, online trade, sporting, education, entertainment, security, and healthcare have significantly improved over the years. So far, tens of millions of direct employments have been directly provided via the platform. Furthermore, the country’s GDP attributable to telecommunication has constantly increased since the deregulation of the telecommunication industry. The paradigm shift has since seen the industry grow at a pace faster than most established networks in the world. However, several demerits have also stemmed from this advancement such as cyber-crime, cyber-bullying, blackmailing, and reduced productivity attributed to social media distractions. Even with the apparent progress, it can be concluded that the telecommunication sector is still quite underexploited in Nigeria. The lack of basic infrastructures like constant electricity and accessible road networks across several parts of the country, and the harsh economic policies have severely limited the potential for heightened economic productivity.