Nigeria Leads Africa in Global Responsible AI Index, Ranks 38th Worldwide

Nigeria has been ranked first on the African continent and 38th globally in the 2026 Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) published by the Global Center on AI Governance. The country achieved an overall score of 45.93, climbing 42 places from its 80th position in the 2024 edition.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani and officials highlighted the rise as evidence of Nigeria’s deliberate AI ecosystem strategy, citing the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, expanded digital infrastructure, and legal safeguards such as the Nigeria Data Protection Act and the General Application and Implementation Directive 2025. The report also labelled Nigeria a global “Bright Spot” for advancing AI literacy and protecting children’s data.

Nigeria’s strongest scores were in Trust and Safety, Inclusion and Diversity, Ethics and Sustainability, and Labour and Skills, while its weakest area was AI Use in Public Service. Norway topped the index, followed by Italy and Ireland. Other African rankings placed South Africa second, Egypt third, and Libya fourth.