Visa: AI Shopping in Nigeria Increases as Shoppers Battle with Trust Issues

Emma Okonji

Visa, a world leader in digital payments has released its annual ‘Stay Secure’ study in Nigeria, which assessed consumer awareness and behaviours around digital commerce and fraud.

This year’s edition, conducted by Wakefield Research, highlighted how AI enabled shopping and social commerce were changing consumer behavior of Nigeria, even as expectations around trust and protection remained firmly in place.

According to the study, consumers are embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of their shopping journeys. The report said 88 per cent of shoppers in Nigeria have used AI tools to assist with shopping, including comparing prices 54 per cent, finding gift ideas 53 per cent, and checking reviews or product ratings 56 per cent.

From the study, “97 per cent feel new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before. AI is also influencing discovery, with 68 per cent typically discovering new brands or retailers while shopping online. However, consumers remain more cautious when it comes to AI handling transactions on their behalf. 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 grows, consumers increasingly view the technology as part of the solution to fraud. 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.

The report also highlighted how social commerce is growing along scam risks shopping through social platforms and has become mainstream, with 83 per cent of consumers in Nigeria having purchased products directly through social media platforms.

“As commerce expands across new channels, fraud risks continue to follow consumers online. 51 per cent have experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. Among those who have experienced a scam, 57 per cent report the incident occurred on social media, more than those who encounter scams on other platforms such as websites, online marketplaces, or shopping apps,” the report said.

The study also highlighted growing concern about how children encounter scams online, with 76 per cent of consumers reporting that children in their lives struggle to recognise scams. A significant 62 per cent have seen a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online, as 33 per cent of Nigerian parents have children who can access mobile payment apps or digital wallets.

Analysing the report, Head of Risk, Sub-region at Visa, Irene Auma, said: “Visa’s Stay Secure study shows that while online shopping and social commerce continue to grow, scams and fraud are evolving too. Consumers see fraud protection as a shared responsibility, but they expect financial institutions, governments, and payment providers to take the lead, underscoring the importance of secure-by-design payment systems.”  

According to her, “As commerce moves toward more agentic, AI-powered experiences, the study shows that consumers are embracing the convenience AI can bring to shopping but remain cautious when it comes to AI completing purchases on their behalf. With Visa Intelligent Commerce, we are helping enable the next era of commerce built on trust, control and confidence.”