Nigeria Leads in AI Adoption at 93% While Strengthening Privacy, Zoho Report Reveals
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a defining feature of Nigerian business, with a staggering 93% of organisations already adopting AI solutions, according to a new survey by Arion Research on behalf of Zoho. More than 31% of companies report advanced AI integration, showing that Nigeria is moving quickly from pilot programs to enterprise-wide deployment. What stands out is that this rapid adoption is not weakening data safety—84% of firms say AI has actually strengthened their privacy measures.
The report, titled The AI Privacy Equation: The Nigerian Model of Responsible AI Adoption, was presented at Zoholics Nigeria, where Zoho also announced a 75% customer growth in the country in 2024. Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head of Zoho Nigeria, emphasized that Nigerian businesses are proving that “responsible AI adoption is possible when paired with strong privacy measures,” aligning with Zoho’s global philosophy of building privacy-first, contextual AI solutions.
Findings show that 94% of Nigerian businesses now have a dedicated privacy officer or team, far surpassing global averages. Nearly 40% allocate over 30% of their IT budgets to privacy, underscoring the belief that governance is not a barrier but a competitive advantage. Michael Fauscette, CEO of Arion Research, noted that the Nigerian model challenges global assumptions by showing that AI adoption and privacy protection can grow hand in hand.
Leadership is playing a critical role in this growth. More than half of the respondents were senior executives or CEOs, reflecting top-down commitment. The financial services sector leads AI integration (29%), with common applications in customer service automation (49%), software development (46%), and marketing optimisation (32%). However, challenges remain, with 37% of businesses citing lack of technical expertise and 35% pointing to privacy and security as ongoing concerns. To address these, companies are investing in AI literacy, data analysis, and skills like prompt engineering for generative AI.
Zoho’s expansion in Nigeria highlights the synergy between technology and trust. With its privacy-first approach and products such as Zoho Workplace, Zoho Books, Zoho Campaigns, and Zoho One, the company is gaining traction across industries like IT services, banking, energy, manufacturing, and retail. By tying AI adoption to privacy protection, Nigerian businesses are not only boosting innovation but also positioning themselves as a global benchmark for responsible AI use
SOURCE: techeconomy