Report: 36% of Nigerian creatives avoid using AI due to the high cost of subscriptions
The biggest barrier to artificial intelligence (AI) adoption among Nigeria’s creative professionals is not a lack of skills or unreliable internet, but the cost of the tools themselves, according to The State of Nigeria’s Creative Economy 2026, produced in partnership with Frontyard Group, an innovation and investment engine powering Africa’s creative frontier.
The data-backed report surveyed 377 Nigerian creatives about the biggest practical challenge in integrating AI tools. 35.8% of respondents named the high cost of subscriptions and computing, ahead of lack of training (29.7%), legal and copyright uncertainty (17.8%), and unreliable internet (16.7%).
“The AI divide is not primarily a skills divide. It is a cost divide, and cost maps directly onto geography and class,” the report states, warning that access to Artificial Intelligence risks becoming “yet another marker of who can compete.”
The finding comes at a timely moment, as emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things continue to drive innovation and entrepreneurship globally.
Nigeria’s creative sector is expected to leverage these tools. Yet the report suggests those benefits may accrue disproportionately to creators who can already afford the subscriptions, deepening existing inequality.
Download the full report on the NECLive website nec.ng
