Nigeria has been ranked as the sixth highest country in Africa for search interest in Artificial Intelligence and 25th globally, according to a new report by Google.
The report, titled “New Search Trends,” was released on Wednesday and highlights the growing interest in AI among Nigerians.
The report reveals that Nigerians are searching for AI more than ever before, with a 130% increase in searches for the term compared to the same time last year. The trend indicates that people in Nigeria are eager to learn more about AI and how to use it in various aspects of their lives.
Google noted, “Nigerians are looking to use AI to build their careers and creativity – with trending searches including ‘create a logo with AI,’ ‘create CV with AI,’ ‘design website with AI,’ ‘design a flyer with AI,’ and ‘create slides with AI’ – all of which were ‘breakout’ searches in 2024, growing over 5,000 per cent in interest since this time last year.”
There has also been a notable increase in searches related to learning AI. “Searches for ‘AI and courses’ have increased by 50 per cent – while top questions include ‘is AI hard to learn,’ ‘how to learn AI,’ and ‘how to access and learn about AI,’” the report disclosed.
Interest in the intersection of AI and business has surged, with a 110% increase in related searches, and searches for AI-related jobs have skyrocketed by 640%. Additionally, searches for AI in the fields of cybersecurity, healthcare, and medicine have all seen significant growth.
Commenting on the findings, Olumide Balogun, West Africa Director at Google, said, “AI has the potential to create opportunities – from the extraordinary to the everyday – for everyone: bringing new waves of innovation, 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 career, creativity, and society.”
Balogun also highlighted Google’s efforts to support AI development in Africa. He mentioned that Google offers free AI training programs to Africans through its Hustle Academy, which has helped over 10,000 businesses since its launch in 2022. The initiative includes modules specifically designed to teach entrepreneurs how to use AI to improve their businesses.
In addition, Google supports AI-focused startups in Africa through its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program. The 2024 cohort of this program includes 10 AI-driven ventures aimed at tackling challenges on the continent.
