Nigeria among fastest climbers globally in AI readiness ranking – Oxford report

Nigeria has recorded one of the fastest improvements in artificial intelligence readiness globally, climbing 31 places in just two years, according to the Oxford Government AI Readiness Index 2025.

The country moved from 103rd position in 2023 to 72nd out of 195 countries in 2025, placing it in the 37th percentile globally, a rise which reflects growing policy coordination and early execution across the public and private sectors.

The index, which assesses governments’ ability to implement AI responsibly and at scale, measures performance across pillars such as governance, infrastructure, skills, innovation, and ethical deployment.

Nigeria’s strongest gains were recorded in areas where policy has been matched with execution.

The country ranked 35th globally in Policy Capacity, a performance anchored on the rollout of a National AI Strategy, which outlines Nigeria’s approach to AI governance, skills development, innovation, and responsible use.

The strategy positions AI as a productivity-enhancing tool across sectors including finance, agriculture, healthcare, education, and public administration.

Nigeria also placed 49th in Development and Diffusion which shows improvements in technical talent, research activity, startup innovation, and early adoption of AI-enabled solutions across businesses and government agencies.

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The renewed focus on AI aligns with the federal government’s broader economic agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which targets the transformation of Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy.

Analysts argue that achieving this ambition will require productivity gains across every major sector, gains that AI-driven automation, analytics, and decision-support systems can help unlock.

From improving tax administration and public service delivery to boosting efficiency in manufacturing, logistics, and agriculture, AI is increasingly viewed as a cross-cutting enabler rather than a standalone technology sector.

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Despite the progress, Nigeria still trails several peer economies and emerging tech hubs.

Moving into the global top 50 for AI capability will require sustained investment in digital infrastructure, expanded access to high-quality data, stronger research funding, and clearer regulatory enforcement around ethics and accountability.