EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria outpaces global peers in AI adoption as "Purpose-Driven" tech takes root - ITREALMS

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Nigeria is officially leading the world in a "purpose-driven" artificial intelligence revolution, as a newly released study by Google and Ipsos reveals that the nation has moved far beyond the experimental phase to embrace AI as a critical tool for economic survival, reports ITREALMS.

The study, titled "Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the Hands of More People," indicated that as of January 2026, 88 per cent of Nigerian adults have engaged with AI chatbots, representing a massive 18-point surge from 2025 and dwarfing the global average of 62 per cent.

This high level of adoption is primarily fueled by a desire for personal and professional advancement rather than mere entertainment, with a staggering 93% of Nigerians utilizing AI to master complex topics or learn new skills, compared to a global average of 74%.

In the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors, ITREALMS gathered from the study that the integration of these technologies is even more pronounced, as 93% of Nigerian companies have already embedded AI into their operations, with the financial services sector leading the charge.

Entrepreneurs in Nigeria, the study informed ITREALMS, are proving to be the most aggressive adopters, with 80 per cent, using AI to explore new business ideas or pivot their careers, nearly double the 42 per cent global rate.

This shift, according to the study, is turning Lagos into a premier global hub for localized AI development, hosting over 600 tech startups that are actively building tools for everything from language translation to real-time fraud detection.

Public sentiment across the country, the study indicated, remained overwhelmingly positive despite global hesitance, with 80 per cent of Nigerians expressing excitement about AI’s potential to democratize information and improve student outcomes.

While a significant knowledge gap still exists with only 27 per cent of users claiming to understand the underlying mechanics of the technology, this has not slowed down the nation's youth.

Gen Z currently leads the country with an 82 per cent usage rate, followed closely by Millennials at 74 per cent.

As Nigeria continues to outpace its peers, the 2026 data confirms that AI is no longer just a digital trend in West Africa but an essential partner in the quest for national prosperity and economic empowerment.

Remmy Nweke/DoP