Mr Tijani stated that Nigeria’s rise by 42 places to 38th globally and first in Africa reflects the deliberate efforts being made to build an AI ecosystem that is inclusive, responsible, and aligned with the country’s development priorities.
Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s highest-ranked country in the 2026 Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI), placing 38th out of 135 countries. The country accumulated an overall score of 45.93 out of 100 to attain this ranking.
The report, published by the Global Center on AI Governance, assessed countries on how effectively they are building the frameworks, institutions, and safeguards required to ensure artificial intelligence is developed and deployed responsibly.
The assessment covers five dimensions: inclusion and diversity, ethics and sustainability, labour and skills, trust and safety, and AI use in public service. Norway topped the 2026 Global Index on Responsible AI with a score of 74.20, followed by Italy (72.71) and Ireland (71.39).
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Government Reaction
Reacting to the ranking, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, described Nigeria’s emergence as an affirmation of the country’s belief in the adoption of responsible AI. He reiterated that Africa should not only participate in the artificial intelligence revolution but also help shape how technology is governed and deployed globally.
“Nigeria’s emergence as the leading African country in 2026 @GlobalIndexRAI 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. Moving up 42 places to rank 38th globally and first in Africa reflects the deliberate work being done to build an AI ecosystem that is inclusive, responsible and aligned with our development priorities,” the minister said.
He also welcomed Nigeria’s recognition as a global ‘Bright Spot’ for advancing AI literacy, noting that initiatives such as the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme had received international recognition.
According to the minister, the government will continue investing in digital infrastructure, talent development, and AI governance frameworks to ensure artificial intelligence delivers value for Nigerians. He added that the government would also support the vision of building a $1 trillion economy driven by innovation, productivity, and inclusive growth, in line with President @officialABAT’s vision.
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Nigeria’s AI Ranking
Nigeria’s overall score of 45.93 places it well above Africa’s regional average of 21.79. South Africa ranked second in Africa (29.68) and 77th globally, followed by Libya (29.24), Zambia (29.12), Gambia (28.19), and Mauritius (26.29).
Nigeria’s performance across the five dimensions showed its strongest scores in:
- Trust and Safety (63.45)
- Inclusion and Diversity (52.06)
- Ethics and Sustainability (49.63)
- Labour and Skills (40.85)
The country recorded its weakest score in AI Use in Public Service (23.65). Additional metrics included an AI Policy score of 51.18, a Civil Society Engagement score of 26.94, and an Enabling Conditions score of 41.76.
The report highlighted Nigeria as a ‘Bright Spot’ for combining AI skills development with protections for children. It praised the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025, which promotes AI literacy through the 3MTT programme. It also acknowledged the Nigeria Data Protection Act and the General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID) 2025, which provide safeguards for children’s personal data and prohibit decisions based solely on automated processing.
“With children’s rights receiving limited priority in the African region, Nigeria is one of the few African countries that has attempted to close the gap between skills development and AI harm protections for children,” the report stated.
