• Nigerians embrace AI as 88% adults deploy chatbots for education
Worried by the sluggish rate at which public tertiary institutions are enrolling on the Tertiary Education Research and Application Service (TERAS), the Federal Government has extended the initiative to eligible private tertiary institutions.

TERAS is a national digital platform of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) aimed at improving teaching, learning, research, innovation, and institutional efficiency at beneficiary institutions.

Confirming the onboarding of private tertiary institutions on the TERAS platform on yesterday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the initiative was in furtherance of efforts to reinforce and protect Nigeria’s education system through strategic public–private partnerships.

The Guardian reports that with this development, the 356 private tertiary institutions in Nigeria, comprising 168 accredited private universities, 106 private polytechnics and 82 private colleges of education are now eligible to be onboarded into the platform.

A statement yesterday by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, noted that the Minister emphasised that sustainable progress in education required collective responsibility and inclusive partnerships between government and private sector stakeholders.

According to the statement, Alausa explained that the expansion of TERAS, implemented in collaboration with TETFund marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital education reform agenda.

He said while TERAS had traditionally served public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, eligible private institutions had been invited to formally partner with TETFund and benefit from the same premium digital services delivered at national scale.
Meanwhile, a technology firm, Google, in collaboration with Ipsos, has revealed Nigerians’ huge appetite for artificial intelligence (AI).

The report noted that Nigerians are not just embracing AI; they are leading the charge globally. The study, “Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the hands of more people,” reveals that Nigerians are using AI tools for everything from education to entrepreneurship at a remarkable rate, showing immense optimism for the technology’s future.

The survey showed a massive 88 per cent of Nigerian adults have used an AI chatbot, a huge 18-point jump from 2024. This places Nigeria well ahead of the global average of 62 per cent.

Communications & Public Affairs Manager for Google in West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said: “It’s inspiring to see how Nigerians are creatively and purposefully using AI to unlock new opportunities for learning, growth, and economic empowerment.

“This report doesn’t just show high adoption rates; it tells the story of a nation that is actively shaping its future with technology, using AI as a tool to accelerate progress and achieve its ambitions. We’re committed to ensuring that AI remains a helpful and accessible tool for everyone.”