A Cybernews study has ranked Nigeria among the three lowest performers in AI adoption worldwide, with only seven per cent of its population engaging popular AI apps in 2025, tying with Poland and Venezuela at 62nd out of 64 countries analysed.
The research, which examined download data for the 100 most popular AI applications across Google Play and the Apple App Store in 64 nations, normalised figures by population to create the AI Adoption Index 2025.
Nigeria’s low ranking persists despite recording the dataset’s fastest year-over-year growth at +600%, jumping from one per cent adoption in 2024 (tied with India) to seven per cent last year.
India mirrored Nigeria’s trajectory, surging from 1.9 million downloads in 2023 to 15.8 million in 2025. Yet both nations trail leaders like the United States (projected 25-30% adoption) due to stark baseline disparities.
Cybernews attributes Nigeria’s stagnation to entrenched structural barriers rather than a lack of interest.
Only about 60% of Nigerians have reliable electricity access, crippling consistent AI tool usage on power-hungry smartphones and cloud-dependent apps.
Internet penetration hovers at 55%, with average speeds lagging global benchmarks, while device affordability remains prohibitive for the nation’s 220+ million people, many of whom survive on less than $2 daily.
Cybernews researchers restate that these “fundamentals” suppress per-capita uptake even as demand accelerates.
While downloads are skyrocketing from a low base, infrastructure gaps ensure AI remains a luxury for most, the report states, highlighting similar patterns in other low-income markets.
Top adopters like South Korea and the UAE benefit from ubiquitous 5G, subsidised devices, and national AI strategies.
The full dataset and methodology, sourced via third-party app intelligence providers, are available at cybernews.com/ai-adoption-index, alongside a companion report dissecting adoption drivers.
For Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, the findings reveal the need for public-private investments in power grids, affordable data plans, and localised AI tools.
