Nigeria is now the top country in Africa for responsible AI in the 2026 Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI). The country ranks 38th out of 135 nations, scoring 45.93 out of 100 in the index.
The report comes from the Global Center on AI Governance. It looked at how well countries are setting up systems, institutions, and rules to ensure that artificial intelligence is developed and used properly.
The assessment reviewed five areas: inclusion and diversity, ethics and sustainability, labor and skills, trust and safety, and AI use in public service. Norway is first in the index with a score of 74.20, followed by Italy with 72.71 and Ireland with 71.39.
Government Response
Bosun Tijani, Nigeria's Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, reacted to the ranking. He said it shows Nigeria's commitment to responsible AI. He emphasized that Africa should not just be part of the AI movement but should also influence how technology is managed worldwide.
"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," Tijani stated.
He also praised Nigeria's recognition as a global 'Bright Spot' for promoting AI literacy. He mentioned that programs like the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative have gained international attention.
According to Tijani, the government will keep investing in digital infrastructure, talent building, and AI governance. He noted that artificial intelligence should benefit Nigerians. He added that the government supports a vision of creating a $1 trillion economy driven by innovation, productivity, and inclusive growth, in line with President @officialABAT’s vision.
Nigeria’s AI Performance
Nigeria's score of 45.93 is much higher than Africa's average of 21.79. South Africa, in second place in Africa, scored 29.68 and ranked 77th globally. Other countries include Libya with 29.24, Zambia with 29.12, Gambia at 28.19, and Mauritius with 26.29.
In the report, Nigeria scored highest in:
- Trust and Safety (63.45)
- Inclusion and Diversity (52.06)
- Ethics and Sustainability (49.63)
- Labor and Skills (40.85)
The weakest area was AI Use in Public Service with a score of 23.65. Other scores 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 called Nigeria a ‘Bright Spot’ for merging AI skills training with child protection. It praised the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025, which promotes AI literacy through the 3MTT program. It also highlighted the Nigeria Data Protection Act and the General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID) 2025, which protect children's personal data and ban decisions based solely on automated processes.
"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 said.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇