Responsible AI: Nigeria Ranks 1st in Africa, 38th Globally

| By: Francis Onyemachi

Nigeria has been ranked the leading country in Africa on the latest Global Index on Responsible AI,  placing 38th in the world and first on the continent.

Nigeria overtook Egypt and Kenya after climbing 42 places globally in just two years, rising from 80th globally in 2024 to 38th with a score of 45.93.

The country’s position deepens its appeal as a market for AI talent, innovation and investment as the continent races to attract AI investment.

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications and Digital Economy of Nigeria, commenting on this milestone said the emergence as the leading African country in the 2026 Responsible AI is an important affirmation of the belief that Africa must not only participate in the AI revolution but also help shape how these technologies are governed and deployed globally.

“Moving up 42 places to rank 38th globally and 1st in Africa reflects the deliberate work being done to build an AI ecosystem that is inclusive, responsible, and aligned with our development priorities.

“It is also encouraging to see Nigeria recognised as a global “Bright Spot” for advancing AI literacy, with initiatives such as our National AI Strategy (NAIS) and the 3 Million Technical Talent programme receiving international recognition,” he said.

He explained that Nigeria remains committed to ensuring that Artificial Intelligence delivers real value for the people and President Bola Tinubu’s led administration vision of building a $1 trillion economy powered by innovation, productivity, and inclusive growth.

According to reports, AI is projected to contribute about $1.2 trillion to the continent’s economy by 2030 while contributing GD 5.6% to GDP

The ranking published by the Global Center on AI Governance (GIRAI), a Cape Town-based independent research and policy think tank, is one of the world’s most comprehensive assessments of responsible AI evaluating 135 countries across five pillars: inclusion and diversity, ethics and sustainability, labour and skills, trust and safety, and AI use in public services.

Despite that rapid adoption, the report found that public governance capacity remains weak, with average GIRAI scores standing at only about 35 out of 100 globally, while evidence of implementation exists in just 55% of countries with responsible AI frameworks, dropping to 45% across the Global South.

Nigeria’s ranking comes as governments globally race to establish governance frameworks that keep pace with rapid advances in artificial intelligence.

The index shows  that Nigeria is among the few African countries that have attempted to simultaneously prepare citizens for an AI-driven future while strengthening protections against the risks posed by emerging technologies.

The report also cited the Federal Government’s flagship 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme for delivering structured AI and machine learning training through a hybrid model designed to reach young people nationwide.

It also recognised the Nigeria Data Protection Act and the General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID) 2025 for introducing enhanced safeguards for children’s personal data, including parental consent requirements and restrictions on decisions based solely on automated processing.

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