The annual index published by Oxford Insights has disclosed that Nigeria has been ranked 72nd out of 188 countries in the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index, placing it among the top-performing countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report assessed 195 governments using 69 indicators across six pillars: policy capacity, governance, AI infrastructure, public sector adoption, development and diffusion, and resilience.
Oxford Insights AI Readiness Index evaluates how prepared governments are to implement artificial intelligence in public service delivery, using indicators across policy capacity, infrastructure, governance, development, diffusion, and resilience.
How Nigeria Compares Globally And In Africa
Nigeria was ranked fourth within sub-Saharan Africa, behind only Kenya (65th), South Africa (67th), and Mauritius (71st), making it one of the continent’s strongest performers on the index.
In total, 10 African countries made the global top 100, highlighting gradual but uneven AI progress across the continent.
Top 10 African Countries By Global Ranking:
Kenya — 65th
South Africa — 67th
Mauritius — 71st
Nigeria — 72nd
Rwanda — 75th
Ghana — 85th
Morocco — 87th
Algeria — 96th
Senegal — 97th
Tunisia — 99th
The report described Nigeria as being “amongst the highest ranking countries globally from the continent”, noting that recent policy actions and sectoral investment are beginning to show results.
“Nigeria — amongst the highest ranking countries globally from the continent — just stepped into the top 50 on Development and Diffusion (49th) and performed even better in policy capacity (coming 35th globally) following increased investment in its domestic AI sector, the launch of detailed AI policy documents and a stated intention to enhance efforts for international collaboration.”
This means that while Nigeria’s overall rank is 72nd, it performed significantly better in specific pillars, particularly in Policy Capacity (35th globally) and Development and Diffusion (49th globally).
These scores reflected Nigeria’s growing AI ecosystem, expanding talent pool, and increasing recent government efforts to formalise AI policy.
The report also referenced Nigeria’s move from strategy to implementation, citing the launch of the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub, placing the country among governments beginning to operationalise AI within public systems.
The report described Nigeria as being “amongst the highest ranking countries globally from the continent”, noting that recent policy actions and sectoral investment are beginning to show results.
Overall, the index presented Nigeria as a country with clear AI ambition but uneven execution. While policy design and ecosystem development are advancing, slower public sector adoption remains a critical gap.
As more African countries invest in AI strategies and innovation hubs, the report suggested that Nigeria’s ability to translate policy intent into widespread government use will be key to determining whether it climbs higher in future global AI readiness rankings.
Source: Channels TV
