November for many is quite an exciting month. The world, Africa and Nigeria, in particular, experienced their fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly. We were interested in what was top on people’s minds in this month.
One way of finding what was of great interest to Nigerians is to analyze what they searched on Google during the month. Search trends information is gleaned from data collated by Google based on what Nigerians have been searching for and asking Google.
So, we checked out the top questions Nigerians asked and the keywords they searched so far in the month of November. Here are the top topics that Nigerians were most interested in this November:
2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
The quadrennial FIFA World Cup tournament is arguably the biggest sporting event in the world. The 2022 edition which kicked off in Qatar has drawn football lovers of host countries to support their countrymen through the stages of the tournament.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria lost to Ghana during the qualifiers play-offs and are not represented in the year’s edition. The Black Stars of Ghana will play Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea in Group H.
Despite this, Nigerians have continued to follow the competition as other major football tournaments are suspended in Europe. This year’s edition has been littered with controversy with many people citing reasons why Qatar is not fit to host the tournament amid allegations of human rights abuse,
It is the first time that the World Cup would hold in the Middle East and there are special rules regarding alcohol consumption, public displays of affection, and more.
The tournament in Qatar is set to feature many stars including Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, who are both featuring in the tournament for the fifth time. Notable absentees include Senegalese star, Sadio Mane, and current Balon D’or Winner, Karim Benzema, who have both been ruled out of the tournament through injuries.
The event is expected to be entertaining because Qatar, the host nation, is a desirable vacation destination for travellers from all over the world.
Read also: 6 amazing tech features that will define the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Peter Obi vs everybody else
It is election season in Nigeria, with the 2023 General elections just around the corner.
However, there have been a number of exciting events leading up to that election, prompting Nigerians to search for the activity of their preferred candidates on Google. Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the three front-runners for next year’s elections, have dominated trending topics on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for months.
Peter Obi has emerged as a revolution that is currently sweeping through the country, as his supporters, the OBIdients, have taken to every platform available, both physical and virtual to push for his emergence as Nigeria’s next president.
One of his opponents, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu shares this popularity on social media platforms too. He has trended recently because of several allegations and controversies surrounding his candidature in the upcoming elections in the country.
Well, as democracy would permit, may the best candidate win the polls win.
Ronaldo’s Manchester situation
Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the headlines and Twitter trends table recently. Before his controversial interview with Piers Morgan aired, the sporting personality had already been in the news for one controversy or the other because of his challenges at Manchester United.
The interview concerning the five-time Balon D’or winner’s time at Manchester United is the topic of recent discussion. In the interview, which was conducted by well-known Tv personality Piers Morgan, Ronaldo made controversial remarks about the squad, the management, and even a few of his former teammates including Wayne Rooney.
He alleges he has been the target of disrespect and disrepute from the club which he loved and returned to last year after many years.
Coincidentally, the football player’s Instagram following hit the 500 million mark, solidifying his position as one of the most followed people in the world and the most followed user on the platform.
Fans of the 37-year-old, who is a well-known person, have flocked to Google to find out the rest of the information pertaining to the numerous controversies and topics surrounding him. They have also defended him when he has vented about things he views as being particularly personal.
Davido mourns his son’s death still
It’s been weeks since popular Nigerian musician, David Adeleke (Davido) lost his 3 year-old-son, who reportedly drowned in a pool. Netiziens have tagged those who were in care of the child as careless and negligent while the Police questioned his household staff.
The terrible circumstance has kept the musician out of the public eye and away from his followers these last few weeks. No other option is left for Nigerians and the musician’s followers except to swoop in on various platforms, including Google, to look for additional details and follow up on the appropriate actions being taken.
Davido was one of the few musicians outlined to perform in the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar having previously featured in the cover song of the tournament.
The FTX Heist
December might not be ‘Detty” after all for some people this holiday season.
Considering Google searches during November, individuals all over the world, including Nigerians have swooped in to search about the crisis of the embattled cryptocurrency exchange.
The crypto exchange which was the second largest in the world by trading volume, with a $32 billion valuation as of January, filed for bankruptcy recently. However, recent investigations by the U.S. Justice Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (might have revealed that the bankruptcy was criminally sponsored.
Many people and businesses, including those that had investments in the corporation, have been affected by the issue. Given that the news has received more than 200k Google searches, it may have influenced more people than initially thought. It continues to spark conversations on social media.
Related story: FTX appoints 5 new directors as bankruptcy proceeding starts
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