The Google search engine processes more than 40,000 search queries every second from Nigerian users in 2017, its official has said.
Mr Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, the Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Anglophone West Africa of Google, said on Thursday in Lagos.
TheNewsGuru reports that Google Trends launched in May 2006 allows one to see how popular search terms and their demography have been over time on Google.
Kola-Ogunlade explained that the per-second querying translates to more than a billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide.
According to him, the information is garnered from data collated by the Google based on what Nigerians have been searching for this year.
“The results of 2017 search offers a unique perspective on the year’s major moments and top trends based on searches conducted in Nigeria.
“In addition to showcasing what people, places and things were trending around the globe, the 2017 Year in Search list also offers insights into what the top trending news moment for Nigerians was in the last 12 months.
“It also included the new music and movies that got their attention,’’ the Communications and Public Affairs Manager said in a statement.
Kola-Ogunlade said that the most searched person on Google’s year-end list was Moji Olaiya.
He said that the sad news of her death, two months after giving birth, shook the Nigerian movie industry.
Kola-Ogunlade said that coming in second place was the notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as “Evans’’.
He said that Adesua Etomi was third on the list, likely because of the announcement of her engagement to Banky Wellington.
“It was no secret that people turn to Google for answers to questions they are embarrassed to ask their friends,’’ Kola-Ogunlade said.
According to him, the year’s top “What is” queries included President Muhammadu Buhari’s state of health, JAMB and WAEC results, what a female Hyena was called, what Monkeypox was and Bitcoin.
He said that this year’s most searched events and stories of interest by Nigerians included symptoms of monkeypox, political news in other African countries, the release of iPhone 8 and celebrity weddings.
Kola-Ogunlade listed the full search list in 2017 for the most searched people as; Moji Olaiya, Evans the kidnapper, Adesua Etomi, Donald Trump, Mr Eazi, Efe, Jide Tinubu, Olumide Bakare, Dammy Krane and Eric Arubayi.
The most searched stories and events, according to him, are ASUU strike, Moji Olaiya’s dead, Monkeypox outbreak, iPhone 8/IPhone X launch, New Gambian President, Adesua and Banky wedding, Anambra elections, Mayweather vs Mcgregor fight, Zimbabwe coup, and Catalonia referendum.
He also said that the most asked questions; OK Google? who, how and what are; how to check JAMB results, how to check WAEC results, what is a female Hyena called?, what is Monkeypox? and what is Bitcoin?
Others are: what is MMM? Who is Bobrisky? How to check BVN and where is Nnamdi Kanu now?
He said that the most searched-for songs are: Olamide – Wo, Davido – Fia, Davido – Fall, Patapaa Ft. Ras Cann – One Corner, Davido – If, Runtown – Mad over you, Kiss Daniel – Yeba, Tekno – Go, Mayorkun – Mama, and Tekno Ft. Wizkid – Mama.
The most searched for movies/TV are Fast and Furious 8, Wonder woman, Game of Thrones season 7, Big Brother Naija 2017, Justice League, Thor Ragnarok, Jenifa’s Diary Season 7, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, The Wedding Party, and Better Call Saul.
The most searched sports people are Philippe Coutinho, Romelu Lukaku, Tiémoué Bakayoko, Anthony Joshua, Ousmane Dembele, Floyd Mayweather, Nemanja Matic, Cheick Ismaël Tiote, Ivan Perisic and Kylian Sanmi Mbappe.
The Google manager said that the most searched Near Me queries are Restaurants near me, Nail Salon near me, Clubs near me, Food near me, Movies near me and Jobs near me.