Google's annual "Year in Search" report for 2025 has highlighted the most searched keywords by Nigerians, with 'iPhone 17', 'Straw Movie', and 'Natasha Akpoti' emerging as significant trends. This global analysis showcases the top trending lists and reflects what the world, and specifically Nigeria, searched for, learned, and engaged with throughout the year across various categories including news, notable individuals, movies, musicians, TV series, and curiosities.
Simon Rogers, Data Editor of Google Trends, noted that the integration of AI capabilities in Google Search has enabled online users to ask questions more conversationally, akin to speaking with a friend. He observed that 2025 saw an increase in queries beginning with "What's the deal with" compared to previous years.
Rogers further explained that in 2025, users moved beyond simply seeking answers to understanding the world around them. He stated, "People want to understand more about the world around them. Searches for 'Tell me about…' are up 70% year over year, and queries starting with 'How do I…' reached an all-time high with a 25% increase from last year. And the latter included timely questions like 'How do I know if my Labubu is real?' which rose to the top."
Google Year in Search 2025: Nigeria
Within Nigeria, the top five news searches for 2025 included keywords such as ‘Club World Cup’, ‘Diogo Jota’, ‘Buhari’, ‘Charlie Kirk’, and ‘iPhone 17’. The prominence of the top two searches underscores the significant interest and popularity of football among Nigerian internet users.
Natasha Hadiza Akpoti, who represents the Kogi Central Senatorial District, was identified as the most searched personality in Nigeria for 2025. This trend follows her allegations that Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President of Nigeria, sexually harassed her.
Other highly searched Nigerian personalities in 2025 included Arsenal player ‘Eberechi Eze’, Rivers State Governor ‘Siminalayi Fabura’, Actress ‘Chika Ike’, and Music artist, ‘Mr Eazi’.
In the movie category, ‘Straw’, ‘Sinners’, ‘Love In Every World’, ‘To Kill a Monkey’, and ‘G20 Movie’ were the top five most searched films in Nigeria for 2025. The most captivating television series for Nigerians included ‘Wednesday Season 2’, ‘Squid Game’, and ‘Squid Game 2’. Additionally, three installments of the popular ‘Koleoso’ series also made the top ten list.
Nigerians also demonstrated a strong interest in inspirational music, with ‘Oluwatosin (Jesus Is Enough)’ by Tkeyz featuring Stevehills ranking as the most searched song. Other songs in the top five included ‘Joy Is Coming’ by Fido, Davido’s ‘With You’ featuring Omah Lay, ‘Shallipopi’ by Laho, and ‘My Darling’ by Chella.
The search trends also revealed Nigerian curiosity regarding the meaning of words such as ‘Achalugo’, ‘Allegedly’, and ‘Labubu’. Popular questions included ‘Who is Charlie Kirk’, ‘What is Labubu’, and ‘Who is Tompolo’. Culinary exploration was also evident, with the ‘Pornstar Martini recipe’ leading recipe searches for the second consecutive year.
Regarding electronic devices, ‘iPhone 17’, ‘Tecno Pop 10’, and ‘Pop 10’ were the most searched devices by Nigerians in 2025.
Global Outlook
Globally, Google's Gemini emerged as the most trending search of the year, indicating the world's increasing familiarity with AI chatbots for daily tasks. Other top global trending searches included ‘England vs India’, ‘Club World Cup’, and ‘Charlie Kirk’. In the news category, trending searches worldwide encompassed ‘US Government Shutdown’, ‘New Pope Chosen’, and ‘Charlie Kirk assassination’.
Simon Rogers commented, “2025 was the year an American became pope, KPop Demon Hunters topped the charts, and new AI breakthroughs captured people’s imaginations. These moments and many others inspired people around the world to follow their curiosity in new ways.”
In the realm of entertainment, ‘Anora’ was the top trending movie globally, while “DtMf” by Bad Bunny secured the top spot for trending songs worldwide. Furthermore, Google Maps data showed that users explored new experiences, including Portugal’s Livraria Lello in Porto District and Japan’s Animate Ikebukuro main store in Tokyo.