Google on Thursday released its 2025 Year in Search report, with former President Muhammadu Buhari, Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and viral toy character Labubu ranking among the most searched topics in Nigeria.
The annual report highlights how Nigerians turned to the internet to track major national events, follow political developments, engage with pop culture and process moments of collective significance.
The passing of former President Buhari produced one of the year’s highest search spikes, as citizens revisited his years in public service, presidency and the debates around his legacy. The deaths of Super Eagles legend Peter Rufai, Pope Francis and international footballer Diogo Jota also drew heavy search traffic, underscoring a year marked by notable global and local losses.
Politics dominated online interest, with Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan emerging as the most searched Nigerian public figure — a development Google described as reflecting “unprecedented public interest” in her rising political profile.
International affairs also featured prominently. Searches on the Israel–Iran war, the U.S. elections and other geopolitical flashpoints ranked high among news queries, showing Nigerians’ growing appetite for global developments.
Technology remained a key focus for Nigerians.
The newly released iPhone 17 topped device-related searches, while budget and mid-range options such as the Tecno Pop 10, Redmi 14C, Tecno Spark 40, and Infinix Note 50 Pro were also highly sought after, reflecting the population’s appetite for both premium and affordable gadgets.
Read Also: BREAKING: Tinubu nominates Ibas, Dambazau, others as ambassadors
Entertainment trends further shaped the national mood.
Gospel hit Oluwatosin (Jesus Is Enough) by Tkeyz featuring Steve Hills was the most searched song, followed by Fido’s Joy Is Coming and Davido and Omah Lay’s collaboration With You.
In Nollywood, director Kemi Adetiba was among the most searched personalities, driven by the popularity of her series To Kill a Monkey, which emerged as the most searched local show of the year.
International shows like Squid Game, Wednesday, and Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, also captured strong interest.
Nigerians also turned to Google to understand viral trends and internet culture.
The question “What is Labubu?” topped search queries, as the toy figure became a nationwide sensation.
Searches for the meanings of trending words such as Achalugo, Kelebu, Sope Purr, Ozempic, and nepo baby highlighted the public’s interest in decoding fast-moving slang and social media references.
Food and lifestyle searches reflected an adventurous and globally influenced palate, with users seeking recipes for chinchin, ginger shots, pornstar martini, sausage rolls, lasagne, Chinese rice, and asun rice.
Commenting on the findings, Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Google West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said, “The 2025 Year in Search is a vibrant reflection of what Nigerians paid attention to. From major headlines and global conflicts to new slang and cooking trends, Nigerians used Search to explore the world around them.”
Google described the findings as a “vibrant, unfiltered mirror of our collective attention,” illustrating how Nigerians engaged with news, culture, technology, and entertainment throughout 2025.
