Nigerians are increasingly turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) not just for curiosity but as a means to boost their creativity and careers, recent data from Google has revealed. The surge in AI-related searches in Nigeria has reached an impressive 130 percent compared to the same time last year, underlining the growing interest in this transformative technology.
Commenting on these trends, Olumide Balogun, the West Africa Director at Google, highlighted the potential of AI to create opportunities ranging from the extraordinary to the everyday, ultimately ushering in new waves of innovation, social progress, and economic growth. Balogun isn’t surprised by the Nigerian people’s rapid embrace of this transformational technology, observing an eagerness to leverage AI to enhance careers, creativity, and society.
Globally, there’s a noticeable surge in searches related to AI, with Nigeria following suit. Searches for “what is AI” in Nigeria have soared by over 30 percent, while “how to use AI” has seen a 40 percent increase. This points to a deep-seated desire among Nigerians to comprehend and harness AI for personal and professional development. Nigeria currently ranks as the sixth highest country in Africa and 25th globally in terms of search interest in AI.
Moreover, the data highlights a significant rise in searches related to using AI for creative and professional endeavors. Trending searches in Nigeria include “create a logo with AI,” “create a CV with AI,” “design a website with AI,” and “create slides with AI,” all of which have experienced a phenomenal increase of over 5,000 percent in interest since last year. This growing reliance on AI tools underscores the push to streamline creative processes and enhance job-related tasks.
Nigerians are not just looking to apply AI to their work; they are also keen on learning more about the technology itself. Google’s data signifies a 50 percent surge in searches for AI courses, along with popular questions such as “is AI hard to learn,” “how to learn AI,” and “how to access and learn about AI,” indicating a strong interest in acquiring AI skills.
This growing interest for AI among Nigerians clearly indicates a transition towards integrating AI into various aspects of work and creativity. With a surge in searches related to leveraging AI for creative and professional purposes and a strong desire to understand and acquire AI skills, Nigeria’s interest in AI is on an upward trajectory, highlighting the country’s readiness to embrace transformative technologies for personal, professional, and societal advancement.
