Esther Imonmion
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and the viral toy sensation, Labubu, were among the most searched topics in Nigeria in 2025, according to Google’s Year in Search report released on Thursday.
The report offers insight into how Nigerians used the internet throughout the year to follow major events, track cultural trends, engage with entertainment, and respond to moments of national significance.
The death of former President Buhari triggered one of the largest spikes in search activity, with Nigerians revisiting his political career, presidency, and legacy.
Other notable deaths, including Super Eagles legend Peter Rufai, Pope Francis, and international footballer Diogo Jota, also generated significant attention, reflecting a year marked by major global and national losses.
Politics and global affairs remained major drivers of online engagement. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan emerged as the most searched Nigerian personality, highlighting growing public interest in political debates and leadership developments. Google noted that she drew “unprecedented public interest” as Nigerians closely followed her rising political profile.
International events such as the Israel–Iran war and the United States elections also ranked prominently among news-related searches.
Technology continued to dominate consumer interest. The newly released iPhone 17 topped device-related searches, while budget and mid-range phones such as the Tecno Pop 10, Redmi 14C, Tecno Spark 40, and Infinix Note 50 Pro were also widely searched, reflecting strong demand across price categories.
In entertainment, gospel hit Oluwatosin (Jesus Is Enough) by Tkeyz featuring Steve Hills emerged as the most searched song of the year, followed by Fido’s Joy Is Coming and Davido and Omah Lay’s collaboration With You.
In Nollywood, filmmaker Kemi Adetiba ranked among the most searched personalities, driven by the popularity of her series To Kill a Monkey, which became the most searched local show of 2025.
International shows including Squid Game, Wednesday, and Bon Appétit, Your Majesty also attracted strong interest.
Nigerians also turned to Google to interpret 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 further highlighted growing curiosity around social media slang.
Food and lifestyle searches reflected an increasingly adventurous palate, with popular recipe searches including chinchin, ginger shots, pornstar martini, sausage rolls, lasagne, Chinese rice, and asun rice.
Commenting on the findings, Google West Africa’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager, 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 report as a “vibrant, unfiltered mirror of our collective attention,” showing how Nigerians engaged with news, culture, technology, and entertainment throughout 2025.