Internet freedom in Nigeria has declined enormously, and the government has now banned Twitter – making a VPN essential for bypassing government censorship and propaganda. A VPN for Nigeria lets you unblock online services and websites while encrypting your traffic to prevent the government from tracking what you do.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the best VPNs for Nigeria and give you some tips on how to stay secure and private online.
What are the best VPNs for Nigeria?
We have listed the best Nigeria VPN services below. If you want more information about any of these services, scroll below the list for an in-depth look at each VPN.
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ExpressVPN
– The best VPN for Nigeria. It’s the fastest VPN we test, it unblocks everything, and has strong encryption. -
NordVPN
– Great value for money and very secure. It is very well known and offers steal servers around the world. -
IPVanish
– A super fast service with a worldwide server network. It’s fantastic at unblocking Twitter and has VPN servers in Nigeria! -
Private Internet Access
– A VPN with a solid no logs policy and apps that have advanced encryption options -
CyberGhost VPN
– Comes at a low cost VPN and has easy to use apps for all popular devices. Great for VPN beginners.
Please Note
These suggestions are primarily for those wishing to evade censorship within the country by making use of international IP addresses, but please be aware that this might impact Internet speeds. The few providers with Nigerian servers seem to opt for virtual over physical servers, which does not improve speed penalties but will allow you to continue using obfuscated IP addresses from the country if you choose.
Best Nigeria VPN: Detailed Comparison
We take a closer look at the best VPNs for Nigeria below. If you still want more information about any of these services, check out our detailed VPN reviews.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Nigeria. It’s the fastest VPN we test, offers users excellent privacy and security features, and great apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac.
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Pricing
From
$6.67 –
$12.95 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
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Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
ExpressVPN was presented the Editor’s Choice Award at the ProPrivacy Awards 2019, thanks to its unrivaled speed, ability to unblock all streaming platforms and general presentation. This provider has led the market for nearly a decade, setting the standard for online privacy policies and amassing a well-deserved following.
There are over 3,000 servers to choose from across 94 countries, giving a wide range of IP addresses to choose from. Nigeria is not among them for those that want to continue using an IP address from within the country for whatever reason, but Algeria and Egypt are the closest alternatives.
NordVPN offers great value for money and has secure stealth servers around the world. It leads the charge when it comes to privacy standards – perfect to escape censorship!
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Pricing
From
$4.13 –
$11.95 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
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Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
NordVPN is a no-logs, no-nonsense provider based in Panama – which is a winning combination for those concerned about privacy. Quickly becoming the industry gold standard, NordVPN walked away with our most coveted Best Overall VPN prize at the ProPrivacy Awards 2019.
With over 5,210 servers across 59 countries, NordVPN is the perfect service to help you escape the clutches of censorship. There are currently no servers in Nigeria itself, but there are servers in Israel, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates – although we would recommend against the latter given its oppressive nature.
IPVanish is a great Nigerian VPN service. It’s easy to use, super-fast, and great at unblocking content. It has four servers in Lagos so you can get a Nigerian IP address.
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Pricing
From
$2.62 –
$9.99 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
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Unblocks
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
IPVanish is a hugely popular VPN that keeps no trace of any connection or usage logs that could be used to track what you do online – so if you want to shore up your privacy in Nigeria, and browse the web without restrictions, you’ll want to check this provider out. The service is based in the USA and has a massive number of servers in both America and Europe that’ll allow you to unblock Twitter – or anything else that the Nigerian government censors!
In fact, the VPN has a total of1,300 servers in 76 countries, including 2 in Lagos, Nigeria. This means that you can gain privacy both when unblocking Twitter and when using local services that require a Nigerian IP address. As a result, you can use the VPN at all times to prevent the constant government snooping that is underway in the country.
We love that IPVanish provides fast speeds, so you’ll have no trouble accessing news or blocked videos on YouTube. Plus, IPVanish comes with apps for all platforms and includes a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, OpenVPN encryption, and obfuscation. This also allows you to hide your VPN usage from local network admins and ISPs.
IPVanish is extremely good value for money when you commit to a subscription for a longer period of time (and it’s a good idea to make sure you have a VPN ready should the Nigerian government continue censoring sites). All in all, the service is an excellent all-rounder that is perfect for accessing services that the government has blocked. If you want to try IPVanish yourself, you can do so risk-free by checking out its 30-day money-back guarantee.
An effective and high-tech VPN that is perfect for techier users
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Pricing
From
$2.69 –
$9.95 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
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Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
Private Internet Access VPN (PIA) is a US-based provider with a zero-logs claim that has been proven in court. PIA is well known and highly respected within the VPN sphere for offering excellent clients for all platforms, and these apps are ideal for bypassing any restrictions imposed by the Nigerian government, or for bypassing other blocks like geo-restrictions.
PIA makes its home in the USA and has plenty of servers that come in handy for unblocking Twitter and other American services. Its strong encryption will ensure that the Nigerian government cannot track your online activity, either. That said, this VPN is a little techier than our other recommendations. This makes it a good option for torrenting but might make it less suitable for VPN beginners who just want to safely access Twitter.
PIA has over 20,000 servers in 74 countries, and provides strong OpenVPN encryption. This means you can privately access Twitter, and other restricted services, both at home and when connected to public Wi-Fi. If PIA has one drawback, it’s that it’s not as fast as our other VPN picks, but it still an effective service. You can even try PIA yourself using its money-back guarantee, and put its features and unblocking power to the test!
CyberGhost also offers good value for money and has an easy to use app for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. It handily lists what servers are best for streaming in the app and it’s packed with features.
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Pricing
From
$1.99 –
$12.99 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
-
Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
CyberGhost has become a household name over the years thanks to its sheer value for money in the VPN space, earning the title of Best Value VPN from the ProPrivacy Awards 2019. In fact, it made that much of an impact on us that the provider was also recognized as a runner-up in the Best Overall VPN and Fastest VPN categories.
CyberGhost provides extensive global coverage compared to most providers, with a network of 5,500 servers across 90 countries. With a staggering 24 virtual servers in Lagos, the company has the most Nigerian servers for those wishing to keep a local IP address. However, to escape oppressive regimes, we always recommend using international servers.
Why you need a VPN for Twitter in Nigeria
In early June 2021, the Nigerian government pushed forward with plans to restrict access to any social media content it believes is causing a threat to national security.
This government censorship is designed to entrench the current regime, and it also prevents citizens from gaining access to content and news that highlights government wrongdoing.
As a result of this overreaching censorship policy, the Nigerian government has now ordered local ISPs and telecom companies to block access to Twitter “indefinitely.”
The ban comes just days after Twitter removed a comment by President Muhammad Buhari for breaching its rules on language that incites violence.
According to the government, the Twitter ban has been ordered due to “the persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”
Following the ban, internet users in Lagos and Anuja reported being unable to access Twitter via two popular providers: MTN and Airtel.
As a result, VPN providers like Hide.Me (review) reported an 828% increase in traffic to their website; traffic caused by users desperate to circumvent the blocks imposed by the government.
With the government now actively seeking to use censorship and internet filtering methods to prevent access to platforms it believes are causing a threat to its power structure, it is vital that people living in Nigeria seriously consider getting a subscription with a VPN that will allow them to bypass those blocks with complete privacy.
Why use a VPN in Nigeria?
Ten years ago Nigeria was noted for the freedom of its internet, but this is no longer true. Websites such as YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp remain uncensored and are extremely popular, but there are dark clouds on the horizon. If you plan on streaming video, for example, using a VPN to unblock YouTube will require you to use a fast VPN service.
Increased internet penetration, thanks to the emergence of affordable mobile internet plans, means that Nigeria is one of the largest internet users in sub-Saharan Africa with over 89 million citizens online. This has resulted in the government seeking increased control over what Nigerians can say and read online, particularly using FinFisher, the same commercial surveillance and filtering software that WikiLeaks confirmed is used in the US.
In November 2017 it was discovered that all the major Nigerian ISPs have complied with a government request to censor 21 websites, including Naij.com. It seems the main motivation behind this was to block access to websites which support independence for the Biafra region of Nigeria.
A worryingly broad hate speech law proposed by the Senate in March 2018 has also caused concern, as has unofficial but government-sanctioned legal harassment and physical intimidation of journalists and activists. As a result of these developments, the Freedom on the Net 2018 report labels Nigeria as “partly free.”
There are silver linings in sight. The Digital Rights and Freedom Bill was recently passed by both houses of the National Assembly due to overwhelming popular support, and now only requires presidential assent before becoming law.
This sweeping law (if passed) will guarantee a wide range of digital rights and freedoms of expression online.
How to get a Nigerian IP Address
If you’re looking to get a Nigerian IP address, then you can use IPVanish.
IPVanish has four server in Lagos, all of which are fast and secure.
In order to gain a Nigeria IP Address, follow the following steps:
- Subscribe to IPVanish
. - Download its software from the website. It has apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.
- Launch the app, go into encryption settings and make sure you are using OpenVPN encryption as this is the most secure protocol.
- Select the Nigerian server.
- That’s it, you will have a Nigerian IP address!
Defeat government censorship with a VPN for Nigeria
A VPN connects your device to a VPN server operated overseas by an international VPN provider. This prevents the Nigerian government from either seeing or censoring what you do online. The connection between your device and the VPN is also encrypted, so your internet provider (and therefore the government) cannot access your data.
What features you need for a good Nigeria VPN
What makes a top VPN for Nigeria is, of course, more or less the same as what makes a good VPN anywhere. There are though some important regional factors that we think deserve special consideration when choosing a VPN for Nigeria.
Speed
The main problem with using VPN service in Nigeria is distance. Thanks to the unreliable nature of fixed landline internet in Nigeria (or, for that matter, much of Africa), there are very few VPN access points located anywhere nearby.
Fortunately, Nigeria is becoming increasingly interconnected with the wider world through an ever-growing number of international undersea fiber-optic cables. This means that you can get decent VPN performance by connecting to fast VPN servers located in Europe.
Please check out our Daily VPN Speed Test Results for a look at the fastest VPN provider out there.
Mobile support
Although privately run internet cafes remain popular, most Nigerians these days access the internet primarily through their mobile phones, mainly Android devices. Strong support for mobile platforms should, therefore, be a major consideration for most Nigerians when selecting a VPN service that is right for them. All the VPN services in our list above offer VPNs for Android and iPhone users. It is important to note that encryption protocols may differ in the iOS VPN apps, check the providers website for more information about this.
Price
Thanks to the recent devaluation of the naira, Nigeria’s minimum wage of ₦18000 is now worth less than $50 USD per month (or even less on Nigeria’s flourishing parallel market). This makes price an important (and very practical) consideration when choosing a VPN service.
The good news is that there are plenty of great cheap VPN services out there, although the best prices are usually reserved for longer subscriptions. In general, we recommend using even a low-cost paid for VPN service over free services, but it has to be said that the free VPN space is improving.
As primarily mobile users, however, you should be careful about downloading “free” VPN apps. A great many of them are actively dangerous to use. For your own safety, if you are going to go down this route, then please only use free VPN apps recommended by respected sources.
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ExpressVPN
– The best VPN for Nigeria. It’s the fastest VPN we test, it unblocks everything, and has strong encryption. -
NordVPN
– Great value for money and very secure. It is very well known and offers steal servers around the world. -
IPVanish
– A super fast service with a worldwide server network. It’s fantastic at unblocking Twitter and has VPN servers in Nigeria! -
Private Internet Access
– A VPN with a solid no logs policy and apps that have advanced encryption options -
CyberGhost VPN
– Comes at a low cost VPN and has easy to use apps for all popular devices. Great for VPN beginners.