Nigeria is emerging as one of the world’s strongest markets for artificial intelligence (AI), with 91 per cent of Nigerians using AI tools every week, according to the latest Digital Government Citizen Survey by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The figure places Nigeria ahead of every other country covered in the survey and significantly above the global average of 64 per cent, highlighting the country’s growing appetite for AI-powered technology.
The BCG survey, which covered 44 countries representing about 70 per cent of the global population, also found that 80 per cent of Nigerians consider themselves AI-proficient, compared with a global average of 63 per cent. The findings suggest that Nigerians are not merely experimenting with AI but are increasingly becoming comfortable using the technology for everyday tasks, work and digital services.
Nigeria’s enthusiasm for AI comes as citizens continue to rely heavily on digital government services. About half of Nigerians use government digital services, compared with 38 per cent globally. However, satisfaction with these services has declined by five percentage points since 2024, while only 17 per cent of users said they experienced no problems during their digital interactions, showing that there is still significant room for improvement.
The report also revealed that 61 per cent of Nigerians believe the benefits of AI outweigh its risks, making the country one of the most optimistic AI markets surveyed. BCG said citizens increasingly expect governments to move beyond simply providing information and use AI to make public services faster, simpler, more personalised and easier to access.
Commenting on the findings, BCG Lagos Managing Director, Olayinka Majekodunmi, said Nigerians are among the most active AI users globally. She noted that the strong adoption reflects the country’s openness to emerging technologies while presenting a major opportunity for public institutions to use AI to improve productivity, government services and outcomes for citizens.
source: the guardian
