Nigeria Ranked #1 in Africa on Global Responsible AI Index

Nigeria has emerged as Africa's highest-ranked country in the second edition of the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI), placing 38th globally and first on the continent with a score of 45.93.

This represents a remarkable improvement from the inaugural 2024 edition, where Nigeria ranked 80th globally with a score of 7.21 — a 42-place jump in just two years.

The report, published by the Global Center on AI Governance, assesses countries across five pillars: inclusion and diversity, ethics and sustainability, labour and skills, trust and safety, and AI use in public service. Norway topped the global rankings, followed by Italy and Ireland.

Nigeria's overall score of 45.93 places it well above Africa's regional average of 21.79. The country recorded its strongest performance in Trust and Safety (63.45), Inclusion and Diversity (52.06), and Ethics and Sustainability (49.63), while its weakest score was in AI Use in Public Service (23.65).

South Africa ranked second in Africa (29.68, 77th globally), followed by Libya, Zambia, Gambia, and Mauritius.

"Nigeria's emergence as the leading African country in 2026 is an important affirmation of our belief that Africa must not only participate in the AI revolution but also help shape how these technologies are governed and deployed globally." – Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy

Beyond the rankings, the report recognized Nigeria as a global "Bright Spot" for its efforts in advancing AI literacy while strengthening protections for children in the digital age.

According to the Index, Nigeria is among the few African countries taking deliberate steps to bridge the gap between AI skills development and safeguards against potential harms for children and vulnerable groups.

The report highlighted the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) for promoting AI literacy and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme for delivering structured AI and Machine Learning training through a hybrid learning model reaching young Nigerians nationwide.

Key policy initiatives driving Nigeria's improved AI governance performance include:

• National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) – A five-year vision (2025–2029) with three overarching goals: economic growth, social inclusion, and technological leadership, built on five strategic pillars
• 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme – One of the world's largest digital upskilling projects, targeting training 3 million Nigerians in AI, software development, cybersecurity, and data science skills
• Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 – A legal framework protecting personal data, particularly for children, alongside the General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID) 2025
• AI literacy integration – Government efforts to embed AI education into the formal curriculum at basic and secondary school levels, with initiatives like Experience AI reaching thousands of teachers and students
• M-ATLAS indigenous LLM – Nigeria is developing its own large language model to reflect over 500 languages and dialects, ensuring AI understands the nation's cultural nuances

Nigeria's latest performance builds on a series of strong international recognitions. Earlier this year, the country climbed 31 places in the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index, moving from 103rd to 72nd globally.

The GIRAI ranking and Bright Spot designation reinforce Nigeria's emergence as one of Africa's leading destinations for responsible AI development and governance.

 As the government continues investing in digital infrastructure, talent development, and AI governance frameworks, Nigeria is positioning itself as a key voice from the Global South in shaping the global conversation on responsible, inclusive, and ethical AI development.