Google report: Nigeria leading in global AI adoption for learning, entrepreneurship

A new report by Google and Ipsos has revealed that Nigeria is leading in global adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in learning, work and entrepreneurship.

This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday by Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa.

Kola-Ogunlade said the report titled: ”Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the Hands of More People”, showed that Nigerians are embracing AI tools at an exceptional rate and are highly optimistic about the technology’s future.

According to the report, 88 per cent of Nigerian adults have used an AI chatbot, representing an 18 point increase from 2024 and significantly higher than the global average of 62 per cent.

“It is inspiring to see how Nigerians are creatively and purposefully using AI to unlock opportunities for learning, growth and economic empowerment.

“This report goes beyond high adoption rates; it tells the story of a nation actively shaping its future with technology,” he said.

Kola-Ogunlade added that the report findings showed that AI had become a major tool for learning and professional development in Nigeria.

He said that 93 per cent of users rely on it to understand complex topics, compared to 74 per cent globally, and 91 per cent of Nigerians used AI to assist with their work.

Kola-Ogunlade said that the report also indicated that 80 per cent of Nigerians applied it to explore new business ideas or career changes almost double the global average of 42 per cent.

“The report highlighted strong optimism about AI’s role in education, with 91 per cent of Nigerians believing it has a positive impact on learning and access to information, compared to 65 per cent globally.”

According to Kola-Ogunlade, the report shows that 95 per cent of respondents believe university students and educators will benefit from AI tools.

He said Nigerians are significantly more optimistic about AI than their global counterparts, with 80 per cent expressing excitement about its possibilities, against 20 per cent who are concerned.

“This excitement rises to 90 per cent among Nigerians who use AI frequently in their daily lives,” he said.

Business Day

Trump recalls US envoys as Ambassador Richard Mills exits Nigeria

 

Richard Mills has formally ended his tenure as United States ambassador to Nigeria following a sweeping recall of American envoys ordered by President Donald Trump, a move that has affected more than two dozen countries worldwide, with Africa bearing the brunt.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the US Mission in Nigeria confirmed that Mills’ final day in office was Friday, marking an abrupt end to an assignment that began less than a year ago.

Mills was confirmed by the US Senate in May 2024, a timeline that fell well short of the typical three to four years most ambassadors spend at their posts.

The recall forms part of a broader diplomatic shake-up announced in December, as the Trump administration moved to reorganise several foreign missions.

State Department officials said affected ambassadors would retain their foreign service status and could be reassigned to roles in Washington if they chose to continue serving.

Mills’ departure comes at a delicate moment in US-Nigeria relations, which have faced strain in recent months over visa disputes and persistent security concerns.

This has unfolded even as both governments have publicly expressed interest in strengthening cooperation across trade, security, and governance initiatives.

Until a new ambassador is appointed, the US Mission said Keith Heffern, the current deputy chief of mission, will serve as chargé d’affaires in Abuja.

For Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, the transition underscores the uncertainty facing diplomatic ties during a period of policy recalibration in Washington, with observers watching closely to see how the interim leadership shapes the next phase of US-Nigeria engagement.

By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa

Related story: U.S. suspends visa processing for Nigeria, 74 others

Nigerian police confirm gunmen abducted villagers, after initial denials

Police in Nigeria’s Kaduna State said that armed bandits abducted dozens of villagers over the weekend, after initially dismissing the incident.

In a statement late on Tuesday, Nigeria’s national police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, said an “abduction” had indeed occurred on Sunday, and that the police had launched security operations “with a clear focus on locating and safely rescuing the victims and restoring calm to the area”.

Hundeyin said the earlier denials by officers and other officials were “intended to prevent unnecessary panic while facts were being confirmed”. The police statement did not say how many people were abducted.

In an interview with The Associated Press news agency, Kaduna State lawmaker Usman Danlami Stingo put the number of missing people at 168.

The head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern part of the country, Reverend John Hayab, told the Reuters news agency by phone on Monday that at least 172 worshippers were kidnapped, and that nine later escaped, leaving 163 still missing.

Sunday’s raid is the latest in a wave of mass kidnappings targeting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.

Gangs, known in Nigeria as “bandits”, frequently carry out mass kidnappings for ransom, and loot villages, mainly in the northern and central parts of Africa’s most populous country.

Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from Kurmin Wali village in Kaduna State, said dozens of gunmen stormed the village on Sunday as people gathered to pray in three churches and abducted a quarter of the village’s residents.

“Two days after the attack, the community received a demand,” Idris said.

“The bandits want the return of 10 missing motorcycles they hid in the bush. For now, that is the condition for the release of the captives. But Kurmin Wali residents say they don’t know where the bikes are, and they have been robbed to a point where many can hardly afford to feed themselves,” he said.

In November, armed gangs seized more than 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in the country’s Niger State, with 50 escaping and the rest being released in two batches weeks later.

Roughly evenly split between a mostly Christian south and Muslim-majority north, Nigeria is home to myriad conflicts, which experts say kill both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction.

But United States President Donald Trump has latched onto the security situation in Nigeria, focusing on the killing of Christians and putting Abuja under diplomatic pressure.

In late December, the US launched strikes on what it and the Nigerian government said were armed groups in northwestern Sokoto State.

Nigeria said it approved the strikes.

By Ted Regencia, Al Jazeera

Related story: Nigeria police deny reports of mass church abductions in north

Nigerian troops free 62 hostages, kill two militants in northwest operations

MADUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 21 - Nigerian troops have rescued 62 hostages and killed two militants in separate operations across Kebbi and Zamfara states as part of an ongoing offensive against armed groups in the northwest, the army said on Wednesday.

The northwest has been hit by a surge in mass kidnappings carried out by armed gangs operating from forest hideouts. These groups have attacked villages, schools and places of worship, including the January 18 abduction of more than 160 worshippers from two churches in Kaduna.

Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba said troops stormed a known bandit hideout in Zamfara after receiving reports that captives were being held there.

The army said all 62 hostages were rescued and are in safe custody, with efforts underway to reunite them with their families.

In a separate operation, troops ambushed Lakurawa militants near the border between Kebbi’s Augie district and neighbouring Sokoto after receiving intelligence on the group’s movements, Osoba said.

Nigeria has come under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the country of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in the northwest.

U.S. forces launched strikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day. The Nigerian government denies any systematic persecution of Christians, saying it is targeting Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.

The army added that the operations form part of broader efforts to dismantle armed networks responsible for widespread kidnappings and insecurity across the region.

By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters

Global oil price uncertainty cast shadow over Nigeria’s fiscal outlook

Nigeria has projected an oil price of about $64 per barrel and production of 1.84 million barrels per day. Analysts say those targets may be hard to reach. However, officials are more concerned about volatile global prices, which could come under pressure from a potential supply glut, particularly as the United States eases restrictions on Venezuelan oil sales.

CGTN Africa