Mobile instant messaging service, 2go is a popular social media application among Microsoft Lumia smartphones users in Africa especially Nigeria, a statement reveals.

The West African nation has 142 million active mobile subscriptions and 83 million are being used to access the internet, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

According to Lumia although messaging app WhatsApp is the number one social media app among Lumia users, 2go is very popular across Africa with Nigeria having a very large amount of users.

2go is a Cape Town headquartered mobile phone chat startup, and last year it reported that 2go was Nigeria's biggest social network with 13 million users in the country.

Previously, 2go founders told ITWeb Africa that the service had over 20 million registered users across Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Other popular social network apps on Lumia smartphones include Viber, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

A report by mobile surveying company GeoPoll and World Wide Worx on mobile phone usage in five African countries found that internet browsing via phones now stands at 40% across these markets.

The countries that were surveyed included Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda.