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Nigeria Ranks 72nd in Global AI Readiness, Trails Egypt’s Regional Lead
Nigeria ranks 72nd in global AI readiness, placing it fourth in sub-Saharan Africa behind Kenya at 65th, South Africa at 67th, and Mauritius at 71st. This comes from the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index by Oxford Insights, which looks at 195 countries using 69 different measures across six main areas. These areas cover policy capacity, governance, AI infrastructure, public sector adoption, development and diffusion, and resilience. The index shows how ready governments are to use artificial intelligence in helpful ways.
In global AI readiness, Nigeria trails Egypt, which leads Africa at 51st worldwide. Egypt stands out as the top African nation, while 10 other countries from the continent made the top 100 globally. Two of these are Rwanda and Ethiopia, both known for setting up innovation hubs. These hubs draw in AI investments and start new AI projects, helping their countries move up the ranks.
Sub-Saharan Africa has shown real progress in some spots. The report points out improvements in governance, which looks at how countries explore and control AI use. It also highlights gains in development and diffusion, checking things like AI skills among people, how mature the AI industry is, and how widely technology spreads. In these two areas, sub-Saharan Africa ranks eighth out of nine regions around the world. This is a step forward, but big challenges remain, especially in AI infrastructure and how governments adopt AI in public services.
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Nigeria ranks 72nd in global AI readiness, yet it shines in a few key spots. Among top African performers, Nigeria just entered the top 50 worldwide for development and diffusion at 49th. It did even better in policy capacity, landing at 35th globally. This comes from more money poured into Nigeria’s own AI efforts, new detailed AI policy papers, and plans to team up more with other countries on AI.
Other nations in the region tell a mixed story. Ghana and Kenya do not top any single category but score well across the board. Kenya stands out with a 22nd place in AI resilience, showing strength in handling AI risks. Kenya has built a strong hub for innovation and startups in Africa. Last year, Kenyan startups raised $638 million, which was almost 29 percent of all funding for startups on the continent, according to Startup Genome.
Nigeria in global AI readiness also ties into growing strategies across sub-Saharan Africa. Now, 29 countries in the region have AI plans either ready or in the works. This includes Nigeria, Kenya, and Cote d’Ivoire, all of which rolled out strategies in the last year. Nigeria’s plan stands out with a clear roadmap full of short-term and long-term goals that people can act on right away.
Zambia and Mauritius have taken steps too. They added real plans to put their strategies into action. Mauritius even included AI in its new blueprint for digital change and plans to update its AI strategy soon. These moves show African countries want to catch up in the global AI readiness race.
The region pays attention to AI’s risks too, like ethics and safety. The African Union stresses the need for care in its own strategy. Many countries now look at how to handle AI safely as they build it out. In sub-Saharan Africa, 14 countries work on AI ethics rules, but only Namibia has finished and shared its guidelines. Thirteen countries promise to watch for risks in their plans, yet just four explain exactly how they will check those risks. Kenya leads here as the only one joined to the International Network of AI Safety Institutes.
These efforts build hope for Nigeria and its neighbors. Strong policies and investments could lift Nigeria higher than its current 72nd spot in global AI readiness. Places like innovation hubs in Rwanda and Ethiopia prove that focused action pays off. Kenya’s startup boom shows money flows to ready ecosystems.
Lately, Nigeria took a big step forward. At the 50th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Jos, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, announced the National AI Centre of Excellence. This center sits right on the university campus. It aims to boost skills, research, and real-world AI use in Nigeria.
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This center could help close gaps in AI infrastructure and public adoption, two weak spots for sub-Saharan Africa. With better internet, data centers, and training, Nigeria might climb in future indexes. Its good scores in policy and development give a solid base.
Across Africa, the push for AI strategies grows. Countries like Nigeria, with detailed roadmaps, lead the way. As more nations join in, the continent could rise together in global AI readiness. Challenges like ethics guidelines and risk checks need work, but progress in governance and human skills shows promise.
Nigeria ranks 72nd in global AI readiness today, but its recent moves signal change. Investments, policies, and now a national center point to a brighter future. If sub-Saharan Africa keeps improving, it could narrow the gap with leaders like Egypt and top global players.
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