A Market on the Rise
Nigeria’s watch market is expanding rapidly, with projections pointing to an annual growth rate of over 8% between 2025 and 2030. This mirrors global trends: more than 454 million people worldwide now use smartwatches, and the market was valued at $35.29 billion in 2024. Health and fitness tracking drive much of this demand, with over 90% of users relying on their devices primarily for wellness-related purposes.
In Nigeria, consumers can choose from premium models like Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch, alongside increasingly sophisticated budget-friendly alternatives. Healthcare professionals are already seeing the effects, as more patients arrive at clinics armed with months of health data captured on their wrists.
How Smartwatches Monitor the Body
At the core of most smartwatches is a technology called photoplethysmography. By shining green LED light into the skin, these devices detect changes in blood flow that occur with each heartbeat. This allows them to estimate heart rate, sleep patterns and, in some cases, stress levels.
Research shows that high-end devices can be impressively accurate under certain conditions. They perform well in distinguishing sleep from wakefulness and can reliably track resting heart rate or moderate exercise. Some models have also demonstrated strong performance in identifying irregular heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation—a serious condition linked to increased stroke risk.
Beyond these basics, modern smartwatches now offer a wide array of features: electrocardiograms, fall detection with emergency alerts, GPS navigation, medication reminders, contactless payments and even measurements of skin temperature or respiratory rate. A few advanced models are beginning to explore blood pressure and blood glucose tracking, edging closer to the territory of continuous health monitoring.
Where Technology Meets Its Limits
Despite their growing sophistication, smartwatches are not medical devices in the traditional sense. Readings can be influenced by factors as simple as how the arm is positioned, skin tone, tattoos, ambient temperature or even nail polish. While some features have received regulatory clearance in countries like the United States, many health functions remain classified as “wellness tools” rather than diagnostic instruments.
Healthcare professionals emphasise that these devices are best understood as early-warning systems. They can highlight trends or prompt users to seek medical advice, but they rarely provide the clinical context needed for diagnosis. A spike in heart rate, for example, may signal a health issue—or simply reflect stress, caffeine intake or physical exertion.
The Hidden Cost: Privacy and Data Security
As smartwatches collect intimate physiological data around the clock, concerns about privacy have intensified. Analyses of wearable manufacturers’ privacy policies reveal inconsistent standards and limited transparency about how user data is stored, shared or monetised.
The stakes are high. Health data is among the most valuable commodities on illicit markets, often selling for far more than financial information. Recent security breaches exposing tens of millions of fitness tracker records have underscored the vulnerability of these digital ecosystems.
When Self-Tracking Becomes Self-Surveillance
Perhaps the least expected consequence of smartwatch adoption is its impact on mental health. Sleep researchers have identified a phenomenon known as orthosomnia—an unhealthy fixation on achieving “perfect” sleep scores. Sleep clinics now report patients who feel well-rested yet experience anxiety because their devices suggest otherwise.
This pattern extends beyond sleep. Studies show that constant access to biometric data can fuel worry, obsessive behaviours and mood changes, a response researchers describe as “data anxiety.” Similar effects have been observed among users of continuous glucose monitors, where round-the-clock feedback can heighten stress rather than provide reassurance.
Using Smartwatches Wisely
For Nigerian consumers navigating this growing market, perspective is essential. Premium devices often offer better accuracy and more features, but mid-range options can be sufficient for basic tracking. Independent research and a careful reading of privacy policies are just as important as brand reputation.
Smartwatches are most useful when viewed as tools for identifying long-term patterns, not as definitive judges of health. Trusting physical sensations, setting realistic goals and taking occasional breaks from constant tracking can help maintain a healthier relationship with the technology. Many experts even recommend regular device-free periods to reconnect with the body’s natural signals.
When unusual or persistent alerts appear—such as irregular heart rhythms or consistently low blood oxygen levels—medical advice should be sought. Acute symptoms like chest pain, severe shortness of breath or sudden weakness, however, require immediate emergency care, regardless of what a device reports.
Striking the Right Balance
Smartwatches offer remarkable insights and can empower users to engage more actively with their health. Yet they cannot capture the full complexity of human wellbeing—our medical histories, emotional states, daily stresses and lived experiences. As their presence grows across Nigeria, the challenge lies in embracing their benefits without surrendering judgment to the screen on our wrists. Balance, ultimately, remains the most valuable metric of all.