Visa Study: AI Shopping Grows in Nigeria Amidst Consumer Trust Issues

Nigerian consumers are actively integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their online shopping habits, according to Visa's annual 'Stay Secure' study. The research reveals that 88% of shoppers have utilized AI tools to assist their purchasing journeys, employing them for price comparisons (54%), discovering gift ideas (53%), and checking product reviews (56%).

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97 per cent feel new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before.

Overall, 97% of consumers feel that new technologies, including AI, are making online shopping faster and more convenient. AI is also proving instrumental in brand discovery, with 68% of shoppers encountering new brands or retailers through online channels. However, a significant trust gap remains when it comes to AI handling financial transactions. Currently, only 34% of Nigerian shoppers would entrust AI agents to complete their checkouts, underscoring the critical need for robust trust-building measures in the evolving landscape of agentic commerce.

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Today, only 34 per cent will trust AI agents to complete checkout, reinforcing the importance of earning consumer trust in the age of agentic commerce.

As AI adoption accelerates, consumers increasingly view it as a tool against fraud. A substantial 76% believe AI helps in recognizing scams more easily, and 89% anticipate AI playing a vital role in future consumer protection against fraud. Concurrently, social commerce is expanding, with 83% of Nigerian consumers purchasing directly through social media platforms. Despite this growth, scam risks persist, with 51% of consumers reporting financial scam experiences in the past 12 months, and 57% of these incidents occurring on social media.

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76 per cent feel AI has made scams easier to recognise today and 89 per cent believe AI will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future, the report added.

Concerns are also rising regarding children's vulnerability to online scams. The study found that 76% of consumers believe children struggle to identify scams, and 62% have witnessed a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online. This is particularly relevant as 33% of Nigerian parents have children with access to mobile payment apps or digital wallets. Irene Auma, Head of Risk at Visa, emphasized that while online and social commerce are growing, so are fraud risks, stressing the shared responsibility in fraud protection and the leading role financial institutions and payment providers must play in developing secure-by-design systems.

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As commerce expands across new channels, fraud risks continue to follow consumers online.