While on paper, VPN is free and open in Nigeria – in reality, you may get a different picture. The government has been throttling access to certain websites, preventing the local population from accessing select news and services.
Also, without a VPN, you may not be able to access services that are geo-restricted for users in the West. These would include popular streaming sites like Disney+ and HBO Max, as well as a US version of Netflix (which has the largest catalog of movies).
With a VPN, you get a very different Internet that lets you virtually select your location – so you could benefit from unrestricted access from every part of the globe (not just Nigeria).
By now, you probably realized why you should get a VPN and these are your best options for Nigeria:
Pros
Cons
- 5,000+ servers in the network
- Easy to use - install it and forget it
- One license is good for up to 6 devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Chrome extension is just a proxy
- You can't pay with PayPal
Summary
Its network includes more than 5,000 servers spread across 60 countries, which directly translates into faster speeds. NordVPN is also very secure, relying on the strong 256-bit encryption combined with secure VPN protocols (OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2/IPSec). But as a user, you get a seamless experience with all this technology "doing its thing" in the background.
NordVPN is well suited to pretty much every task you throw at it — whether it's accessing a banned site from some country that filters out the internet, torrenting, accessing streaming services, or just wanting to keep a low profile on the web. It also doesn't keep any logs.
We highly recommend NordVPN to anyone looking for reliable service.
Pros
Cons
- Feature-rich yet easy to use
- One of the best VPNs around
- Strong no-logging policy
- Reliable support you can reach 24/7
- Limited number of servers in Africa and the Middle East
- Kinda pricey
Summary
ExpressVPN has great desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps and browser extensions. Also, it is well suited for video streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and others.
However, what makes it stand out is its ease of use. We can't emphasize this enough. One could tell a lot of time has been spent making sure even the advanced features are easily accessible. And we love it for that. Plus, let's not forget ExpressVPN's speed which tends to leave other services in the dust.
Pros
Cons
- It's super fast!
- Works with Netflix, BBC and others
- Easy to use apps, browser extensions
- You can try it for free!
- Some advanced features are not configurable
- Not the best for high-censorship countries
Summary
Furthermore, thanks to the availability of browser extensions - Hotspot Shield is also one of our top choices for Chrome and Firefox VPNs.
Your privacy is equally well protected, with the software only collecting some anonymized that help continually improve its service.
There is one caveat though - it won't work in high-censorship countries like China. If you don't need that in the first place, we highly recommend Hotspot Shield.
As that's typically the case with most VPN services out there, the longer you commit - the better deal you get. However, what makes Hotspot Shield even better is the fact that it offers a 7-day free trial of its service. A few other top VPN providers do the same. Plus, its money-back guarantee lasts for 45 days, making for a risk-free purchase. Cause, you can always get your money back. Sweet and just the way we like it.
Pros
Cons
- One the best VPNs for torrenting
- Works well with Netflix
- Simple setup on all popular devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Doesn't work with BBC iPlayer
- Doesn't work in China
Summary
Its desktop apps are not among the prettiest ones, but they get the job done. The important thing is that installation is easy and straightforward, and that no logs are kept by the company.
When it comes to pricing, IPVanish is somewhere in the middle — it's not the most affordable option but also not the most expensive one. As noted, it will be most appreciated by heavy BitTorrent users, and — related — Kodi fans.
Pros
Cons
- Reliable download and upload speeds
- Works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Lets you use it on unlimited number of devices
- Low number of servers in Africa and Australia
Summary
You can rely on it for streaming and torrenting, with included extra features like CleanWeb and MultiHop, delivering a that much better — and more secure — experience.
Surfshark, the company, is based in the British Virgin Islands and with its zero-logs policy makes for a powerful combo to anyone looking to keep its web whereabouts under the radar.
The service is easy to use and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Censorship in Nigeria
Although the freedom of expression is protected by section 39 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria constitution, the local media was controlled by the government throughout much of its history. By 2020, however, over 100 newspapers in Nigeria were independent.
In that sense, the OpenNet Initiative found no evidence of Internet filtering in all four areas for which they test (political, social, conflict/security, and Internet tools) in October 2009.
Nigerian censors typically target certain kinds of ideas, such as ethnic discussion, political opposition, and morality incorrectness.
Also, libel is a civil offense and requires defendants to prove the truth of opinion or value judgment contained in news reports or commentaries. Penalties include two years’ imprisonment and possible fines. Militant groups such as Boko Haram threaten, attack, and kill journalists in connection with their reporting of the sect’s activities. This has prompted journalists to practice self-censorship.
Reporting on political corruption and security issues has proved to be particularly sensitive. For instance, in October 2012 – police in Bauchi State arraigned civil servant Abbas Ahmed Faggo before a court for allegedly defaming the character of Governor Isa Yuguda after he posted messages on his Facebook account accusing the governor of spending public funds on his son’s wedding. A month later, the court discharged Faggo, but the media reported the state government fired him later that month.
During that same year, several Internet news sites critical of the government experienced server problems — which site owners attributed to government interference. Such disruptions usually lasted a few hours.
Yes, you need a VPN for Nigeria…
With a VPN running on your devices, you don’t even have to think about what the government or some other entity will do next. As far as your ISP and other entities are concerned, you’re just accessing some secure server. And from that server, the VPN will route all other traffic — including all requests you make from your web browser or other apps. This will also make it impossible (or at very least – hard) for the Big Tech to keep up with your Internet whereabouts. As far as they know, you are on that server in some other country — whichever you selected from the VPN app.
And again, this same capability will let you access websites and services that would otherwise be outside of your reach. We’re talking about US Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and other things that are geo-locked to certain regains.
Plus, a VPN will keep you protected while connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots that may also be used by savvy hackers. If that happens, they could intercept your traffic and potentially get ahold of your personal information. That, of course, is the case if you don’t use a VPN — which will encrypt all data coming to and from your devices and the rest of the Internet.
What you want is a “universal VPN” that will keep you protected no matter what you’re doing. One that will have your back in a variety of situations, including:
- Accessing content that could otherwise be restricted in your physical location.
- Preventing tracking and minimizing your digital footprint so that no one can track you online (at least not that easily).
- Avoiding throttling from your ISP – which is known to happen when you’re torrenting or accessing video streaming services.
- Bypassing firewalls in a workplace, university, school and so on.
- Bypassing censorship in places like China, North Korea, countries in the Middle East, and even Turkey and Russia.
- Securely connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots – with a VPN encrypting all the traffic coming to and from your devices.
The bottom line is – get a VPN that fits all your needs. The top contenders include the following:
