By STELLAMARIS ASHINZE

Google on Thursday announced a 12-month free Google AI Plus subscription for eligible students in Nigerian higher institutions.

Olumide Balogun, Director, West and East Africa, Google, said in a statement that the initiative aimed at helping to remove financial barriers to AI adoption among Nigerian students.

Balogun said the offer, valued at N92,400 per student, was available to students aged 18 years and above enrolled in accredited universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.

He said that returning students who accessed the offer last academic year could renew for another 12 months after re-verifying their student status.

Google said the subscription provided students with enhanced access to Gemini, Gemini Live, Deep Research, Guided Learning and other AI-powered study tools.

According to him, it also provides 400 GB of cloud storage, unlimited file uploads and access to customised practice quizzes to support students’ academic work.

“AI is the defining technological shift of our generation, and for Nigeria, it is an immediate leapfrog opportunity.

“The initiative will help students master complex subjects, develop digital skills and compete more confidently in the global economy,” Balogun said.

He said its Guided Learning feature was designed to support learning by providing hints and guide questions rather than simply giving students answers.

The Google boss cited a Google DeepMind study involving 1,763 West African students, which found significant learning progress among students using Guided Learning.

According to the study, more than 90 per cent of interactions focus on understanding concepts, while Gemini provided direct solutions in only two per cent of cases.

Balogun said teachers could also use Google Classroom to lock Gemini into Guided Learning mode, helping students receive AI assistance without shortcuts.

He said students and classroom data would not be used to train its artificial intelligence models.

“The student offer is now available in Nigeria and 26 other countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Eligible students can verify their enrolment through SheerID and claim the offer through Google’s student AI offer page,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Google AI Plus is an affordable personal subscription tier managed through Google One.

It expands access to Google’s artificial intelligence tools, advanced Gemini models, creative applications, and cloud storage. (NAN)