Google has introduced a new student initiative that will give eligible students in Nigerian higher institutions free access to its Google AI Plus service for 12 months.
The offer, known as the Gemini Student Offer, is valued at ₦92,400 per student and is open to students aged 18 and above enrolled in accredited universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria.
Students who accessed the programme during the previous academic year can also renew their subscription for another year, subject to verification of their student status.
The subscription gives beneficiaries access to several advanced AI-powered features through the Gemini app, including increased usage limits, Gemini Omni, Gemini Live for real-time voice conversations, Deep Research for academic work, customised practice quizzes, unlimited file uploads and 400GB of cloud storage.
Nigeria is among 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where Google has introduced the initiative.
Google’s Director for West and East Africa, Olumide Balogun, said the company’s objective was to make AI-powered education more accessible by reducing financial barriers for students.
“AI is the defining technological shift of our generation, and for Nigeria, with one of the youngest and most entrepreneurial populations in the world, it is an immediate leapfrog opportunity,” Balogun said.
He added, “By offering 12 months of free Google AI Plus for the second consecutive year, we are removing financial barriers so that Nigerian students can master complex subjects, build in-demand digital skills, and compete confidently in the global economy.”
Google said the programme is intended to promote learning rather than facilitate academic dishonesty.
Through Gemini’s Guided Learning mode, students can receive hints and guiding questions that help them understand academic concepts instead of simply receiving answers to assignments.
The company said a Google DeepMind study involving 1,763 students in West African schools found that those who used Guided Learning recorded learning gains equivalent to between 1.2 and 1.7 years after eight weeks.
Google also reported that more than 90 per cent of interactions centred on understanding concepts, while only two per cent produced direct solutions.
The AI technology can also be used with Google Classroom, enabling lecturers to keep Gemini in Guided Learning mode while protecting student and classroom data from being used to train Google’s AI models.
Other study-focused features available under the offer include Gemini Study Notebooks, which can turn lecture notes and other learning materials into quizzes and lesson plans.
Students will also have access to Gemini Live and Deep Research for brainstorming and research, interactive 3D visualisations within chats, as well as Google Lens Homework Helper for interpreting diagrams and solving equations.
Eligible students can confirm their enrolment through SheerID before claiming the free 12-month Google AI Plus subscription through Google’s student offer portal.
