A Google Search report has revealed that Nigeria has the sixth-highest search interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa and is 25th globally.
According to the report, search interest in AI has reached a record high in Nigeria and worldwide, where searches have more than doubled (+130 percent) since the same period last year.
“Searches in Nigeria for “what is AI” also increased by 30 percent, while searches for “how to use AI” increased by 40 percent,” the report said.
It added that Nigerians are looking to use AI to build their careers and creativity. Trending searches include “create a logo with AI,” “create a CV with AI,” “design website with AI,” “design a flyer with AI,” and “create slides with AI,” which were all breakout searches in 2024 and have grown by over 5,000 percent since this time last year.
Read also: Smartphone import slows as consumers’ naira power shrinks
Nigerians are also interested in learning more about AI and how best to use it. “Searches for “AI and courses” have increased by 50 percent — while top questions include “Is AI hard to learn?” “How to learn AI” and “How to access and learn about AI.” Search interest in AI and business more than doubled (+110 percent), while searches for AI and jobs more than septupled (+640 percent),” Google stated.
Search interest in cybersecurity and AI also nearly doubled across Nigeria (+80 percent), while people showed a clear interest in the future of AI for science. Searches for AI and healthcare more than doubled (+140 percent), searches for AI and medicine increased by 50 percent, and searches for AI and STEM and AI and hospitals increased by 60 percent.
Olumide Balogun, Google’s West Africa Director, said, “AI has the potential to create opportunities—from the extraordinary to the everyday — for everyone: bringing new waves of innovation and social and economic progress. So, it’s no surprise that the people of Nigeria are already looking to make the most of this transformational technology—finding ways for it to boost their careers, creativity, and society.”
