Missing the Pop: Why Nigeria Leapt Ahead in AI
Nigeria embraced AI playfully. Australia missed that moment. Here's why that matters—and how to fix it.
Nigeria’s AI rise isn’t just about tech—it's about timing, context, and the basics.
Australia’s AI inertia may be traced back to a skipped moment of playful experimentation.
What can your business learn from a bubble wrap app and how it might unlock your AI strategy?
Remember the bubble wrap popping app?
It was silly, addictive, and perfect. This goofy app didn’t just simulate plastic popping when the iPhone launched. It simulated the possibility. It showed the public what could be built and taught them how to use the new touchscreen interface. It was a “play” moment with profound implications. What followed was a flood of innovation, adoption, and disruption.
Now think about generative AI. Where was our bubble wrap moment?
Australia’s Missed Pop
According to the Trust, Attitudes and Use of AI: Global Study 2025 by the University of Melbourne and KPMG, Australia is in the bottom third globally when it comes to regular AI use. Only 50% of Australians regularly use AI tools — well below the global average of 66% and far behind Nigeria’s 92%.
Worse still, interest in learning more about AI is among the lowest globally. 59% of Australians are curious about AI, compared to 97% of Nigerians.
Here’s the problem: Australia never had its generative AI “play” moment. No silly app. No frictionless demo. No accessible, joyful interface moment that invited the average person in.
We skipped the bubble wrap.
Nigeria Didn’t
Nigeria, on the other hand, embraced that moment. But it wasn’t a literal app — it was attitude.
Nigerians are some of the most optimistic and trusting AI users on the planet. They report the highest levels of AI literacy, training, and confidence in using generative tools effectively. Crucially, Nigeria didn’t wait for AI to arrive in a polished enterprise platform. People played with it, hacked it, explored it, and yes, sometimes misused it. But they learned. Fast.
Why? Because the context demanded it.
Generative AI tools filled urgent gaps in education, work, and entrepreneurship. For many, AI wasn’t a novelty—it was a necessity. That necessity encouraged experimentation, which bred capability and comfort. The “pop” came from use, not waiting.
What CEOs Can Learn from Nigeria’s Leap
Let’s be blunt: Australia’s slow AI uptake isn’t about talent, funding, or regulation. It’s about a missed opportunity at the interface level.
CEOs, if your teams aren’t playing with AI tools — if they’re only engaging through policy documents or risk memos — then you've skipped the basics. You’ve skipped the bubble wrap.
This isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about building intuitive confidence.
Nigeria’s success wasn’t top-down. It was grassroots. It came from real people solving real problems using free, public AI tools, often without formal permission or a playbook. In contrast, many Australian employees report avoiding disclosing AI use at work, fearing it contravenes policy or isn’t safe.
This is a cultural failure, not a technical one.
Ask Yourself (and Your Team):
When was the last time your organisation encouraged play with AI?
Do onboarding sessions include “mess around time” with tools like ChatGPT or Midjourney?
Have you created sandbox spaces for low-stakes experimentation?
Are you measuring AI confidence, or just compliance?
Because if you don’t create those moments, your competitors — or your emerging market peers — will.
It’s Not Too Late
You can still wrap up your own bubble. Build training that doesn't feel like training. Reward curiosity. Launch a “what’s the dumbest AI idea you can build” challenge. Make AI fun before it’s formal.
This is how innovation starts: with a pop, not a policy.
Let’s not skip it again.
Let’s Discuss
Do you think Australia can still catch up?
Have you seen a “bubble wrap moment” in your organisation or community?
What would your bubble wrap app look like today?
Let me know in the comments or drop me a line. Let’s build the future — playfully, purposefully, and at every scale.