In its 2024 Year in Search for Nigeria, Google has unveiled that keywords such as the U.S. elections, Nigeria’s new national anthem, and the national grid make the top three news searches of the year. According to the reports, the national grid drew attention, having collapsed more than 10 times in 2024 due to its frequent power failures.
Google’s Year in Search is a yearly analysis that showcases the top trending lists and also projects what the world searches to see, learn, and do. The annual reports revealed the most searched entries across categories such as notable individuals, movies, musicians, TV series, and curiosities that captured Nigeria’s interest.
While reacting to the Nigerian report, Google said that the result shows the profound interest of Nigerians in politics and the economic environment.
“In Nigeria, this year’s results show a continued interest in the political and economic landscape, with searches related to the U.S. elections, the new national anthem, and the national grid topping the news category in this order,” Google stated.
Bobrisky, known as Okunleye Idris Olanrewaju, led the most searched among the trending figures revealing Nigerians’ curiosity about the social media personality. In the music industry, the likes of Shallipopi and Khaid top the popularity list.
On the movie chart, Nigerians continued to demonstrate a strong interest in entertainment with movies such as ‘A Tribe Called Judah’, ‘Treasure In The Sky’, and ‘Damsel’. The top television series that captured Nigerians’ interest were the likes of ‘Supacell’, ‘My Demon’, and ‘Queen of Tears’.
Commenting on the report, Google West Africa’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, pointed out that the results reveal the conversations that shape the lives of Nigerians.
“The 2024 Year in Search offers a unique lens into the questions, interests, and conversations that shaped the lives of Nigerians this year. From cultural milestones to pressing concerns, these insights reflect how Search continues to be a valuable tool for users to navigate and better understand their world,” he said.
Moreover, the top trending song was ‘I Don’t Care’ by Boy Spyce, followed by ‘Ozeba and Commas‘ by Ayra Starr. In the lyrics, category, ‘Ogechi’, ‘Ozeba’, and ‘Omemma’ by Chandler Moore topped the charts.
Nigerians also explored diverse recipes in the culinary world with the ‘Pornstar Martini recipe’ leading the searches. Practical and global concerns were also reflected in most searched questions such as “How much is a dollar to naira today?”, “How to get perfectly defined curls for African hair?”, and “Who won the U.S. presidential election?”. On another end, Nigerians occasionally searched for the meanings of words like ‘demure’, ‘steeze’, and ‘pet peeves.’
The 2024 report points to memorable events which include the U.S. elections where Donald Trump emerged victorious in November. Significantly, President Bola Tinubu’s decision on May 29 to reinstate Nigeria’s old national anthem, which was previously abandoned in 1978, also topped the chat.
Google’s 2024 Year in Search – global outlook
On the top trending news moments, global interest in elections surged this year, as nearly half the world’s population went to the polls. Across the globe, “U.S. Election” was the top trending news search, and presidential candidates “Donald Trump” and “Kamala Harris” were among the top trending people.
There were epic sporting moments with “Copa América” and the “UEFA European Championship” leading the top trending searches globally. For the top trending moments, “Usher” was the top trending musician in the U.S. following his halftime show, while “Olympics chocolate muffins” was the top trending food and drink recipe globally after Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen went viral for showcasing his love for them.
In the movie world, “Inside Out 2” was the top trending movie of the year, while “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar was the top trending song globally. Likewise, on Google Maps, people explored new experiences such as Italy’s Arena di Verona and Las Vegas’ Sphere topping searched stadium.
According to Google, people searched more effortlessly and in an advanced way in 2024. “When people used Lens and Circle to Search, they most often used it for translation, shopping, and identifying things. They also combined the phrase “how to use” with their visual searches, using our multimodal technology to search using both text and images at once – gaining a deeper understanding of what they saw or needed help with,” the statement reads.
As it reflects the ability to help users better understand the world through Search, Google’s Year in Search remains a comprehensive analysis of the trends that shape local conversations to the global scene.
Also Read: Google South Africa appoints Kabelo Makwane as country director, to resume in 2025.
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