How to Buy Shares, AFCON, Peter Obi, Others Top Google’s Trending Searches of 2022

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The year 2022 has 24 days to wrap up, and in 25 days, the popular greeting would be Happy New Year.

This year has had ups and downs, with different happenings shaking the various aspects of life.

In the year, students stayed at home for about eight years because of a face-off between their lecturers and the federal government. Also, floods almost submerged the nation, displacing many Nigerians and claiming the lives of more than 600 persons.

Similarly, some popular persons died in the year, while a new movement known as the Obidients shook the political scene ahead of the 2023 general elections.

During the year, Nigerians stayed tuned to these and others with the help of a popular search engine, Google, and in its usual style, the platform has released the trending searches for the year.

According to data released by the tech giant, a few top searched questions this year were How to link NIN? How to buy shares? How to register for PVC online? What is Lupus? and What is NATO?

Further, the results, which revealed the most searched terms, people, actors, musicians, topics, questions and the interest of Nigerians, indicated that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and Casemiro, a Brazilian football player, topped the categories of top trending searches and top athletes and sports people respectively.

Nigeria was eliminated from the 2022 AFCON competition by Tunisia in a 1-0 defeat as Senegal beat Egypt to win their first Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year.

The strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which lingered for eight months, got the union in second place in the top trending searches by Nigerians in the period under review.

Oxlade, a Nigerian singer and songwriter, topped both categories of top trending people and top trending musicians searched by Nigerians this year. Asake, an Afrobeat singer signed to YBNL Nation, came second in the top trending musicians’ list. Anikulapo, a Nigerian epic fantasy film starring Kunle Remi and produced by Kunle Afolayan, topped the category of trending movies and series.

Questions like Who is Peter Obi’s running mate? Who is the APC Presidential candidate? Who is Atiku’s running mate? Who is leading in the Osun State election? Who is Tinubu’s running mate? and Who is Peter Obi? reveal the increased interest of Nigerians in politics and the next year’s elections.

Entertainment-related search terms like Finesse lyrics, Buga, the song by Kizz Daniel featuring Tekno and Will Smith all topped their categories revealing Nigerians’ interest in lyrics, songs and celebrity personalities.

And in a year with many high-profile deaths, the death of Queen Elizabeth was the most searched loss, followed by gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, who died in April and actress Ada Ameh who died in August.

Google’s Year in Search is an annual analysis that reveals the top trending lists and also spotlights what the world searches to see, learn and do.

In Nigeria, the result for this year’s Year in Search shows a heightened interest in politics, entertainment, sports, lifestyle and notable personalities.

Here are the trending searches in 2022:

Top 10 trending searches

1. AFCON
2. ASUU
3. iPhone 14
4. Oxlade
5. NATO
6. Buga
7. Peter Obi
8. Ukraine
9. World Cup
10. Asake

Top 10 trending people

1. Oxlade
2. Peter Obi
3. Asake
4. Black Sherif
5. Casemiro
6. Putin
7. Lisandro Martinez
8. Anthony
9. Gabriel Jesus
10. Raphinha

Top 10 athletes/ sports people

1. Casemiro
2. Lisandro Martinez
3. Anthony
4. Gabriel Jesus
5. Raphinha
6. Maduka Okoye
7. Fofana
8. Eriksen
9. Tobi Amusan
10. Graham Potter

Top 10 trending musicians

1. Oxlade
2. Asake
3. Black Sherif
4. Portable
5. Lil Tjay
6. Ruger
7. Kwaku the traveller
8. Buju
9. Angelique Kidjo
10. DJ YK

Top 10 trending actors

1. Will Smith
2. Johnny Depp
3. Yul Edochie
4. Osita Iheme
5. Judy Austin
6. Olu Jacobs
7. Peggy Ovire
8. Amber Heard
9. Nkechi Blessing
10. Thuso Mbedu

Top 10 trending loss

1. Queen Elizabeth
2. Osinachi Nwachukwu
3. Ada Ameh
4. Rico Swavey
5. Takeoff
6. Chinedu Nwadike
7. Dablixx Osha
8. Dejo Tunfulu
9. Ifeanyi Adeleke
10. Alaafin of Oyo – Oba Lamidi Adeyemi

Top 10 trending lyrics

1. Finesse lyrics
2. Overdose lyrics
3. Rush lyrics
4. If I broke na my business lyrics
5. Palazzo lyrics
6. Bandana lyrics
7. Buga lyrics
8. Kwaku the traveller lyrics
9. Cough by Kizz Daniel lyrics
10. Machala lyrics

Top 10 trending recipes

1. Fried rice recipe
2. Afang Soup recipe
3. Jollof rice recipe
4. Banana bread recipe
5. Parfait recipe
6. Sex on the beach recipe
7. French toast recipe
8. Ogbono soup recipe
9. Chin chin recipe
10. Lasagna recipe

Top 10 trending devices

1. iPhone 14 pro max
2. iPhone 13 pro max
3. Tecno Camon 19
4. Infinix Note 12
5. Tecno Spark 7
6. Infinix Note 11
7. Redmi Note 11
8. Infinix Smart 6
9. Spark 7
10. Tecno Spark 9

Top 10 trending movies/ series

1. Anikulapo
2. Blood sisters
3. House of the dragon
4. Thor love and thunder
5. The woman king
6. Selina tested
7. Tinder Swindler
8. Black Panther
9. Eternals
10. All of us are dead

Top 10 trending songs

1. Buga – Kizz Daniel ft Tekno
2. Overdose – Mavins, Crayon, Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Magixx and Boy Spyce
3. Machala – Carter Efe ft Berri Tiga
4. Calm Down – Rema
5. Rush – Ayra Starr
6. Terminator – Asake
7. Girlfriend – Ruger
8. Finesse – Pheelz ft BNXN
9. How are you my friend – Johnny Drille
10. Cough – Kizz Daniel

Top 10 trending “Who is” general

1. Who is Peter Obi’s running mate?
2. Who is Queen Elizabeth?
3. Who is the Greek God of war?
4. Who is the APC Presidential candidate?
5. Who is Atiku’s running mate?
6. Who is Princess Diana?
7. Who is leading in the Osun State election?
8. Who is Tinubu’s running mate?
9. Who is Peter Obi?
10. Who is Rico Swavey?

Top 10 trending “How to” general

1. How to link NIN?
2. How to buy shares?
3. How to register for PVC online?
4. How to remove the rotoscope filter?
5. How to maintain facial health by controlling the type of food consumed?
6. How to create an NFT?
7. How to upgrade to iOS 16?
8. How to hide an app on an iPhone?
9. How to hide number?
10. How to write an application letter for a job?

Top 10 trending “What is” general

1. What is Lupus?
2. What is NATO?
3. What is NFT?
4. What is the cause of the Russia and Ukraine war?
5. What is the meaning of zazu zeh?
6. What is PVC?
7. What is intersex?
8. What is the meaning of sapa?
9. What is Greta Thunberg known for?
10. What is the scientific term for ear ringing?