National AI Scaling Hub Outlines Strategic Plan for Integrating AI Across Nigeria
Nigeria Embraces AI for National Development and Economic Growth
Nigeria is actively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to address social and institutional challenges and advance towards a $1 trillion economy. The country's AI strategy is centered on national development, with key initiatives like the National AI Strategy, the Nigerian Artificial Intelligence Research Scheme, and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
At a recent Visioning Workshop hosted by the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), emphasized the need to democratize access to AI technologies. His goal is to move AI from research labs into communities to solve local problems and improve livelihoods.
Abdullahi presented NITDA's AI Transformation Roadmap, which aims to use AI for smarter regulation and policy development. The roadmap involves training AI tools on existing legal frameworks to improve policymakers' efficiency. He suggested using AI as a "thought partner" to aid leaders in research, planning, and execution across all sectors.
The event, which took place at the Lagos Business School, aimed to create a strategic roadmap for integrating AI in Nigeria. It also aimed to address key social and institutional challenges across the country using AI. Abdullahi urged stakeholders to collaborate on creating inclusive, AI-driven solutions for critical sectors like health, agriculture, and education.
Collaboration between government, academia, and the private sector is evident in projects such as the Abuja AI Hub Programme, a partnership between Nigerian firms like SO TECHAFRICA and U.S.-based Mindhyve.ai™. This partnership focuses on deploying agentic AI systems for education enhancement and healthcare diagnostics, demonstrating capacity building and digital transformation in key social sectors.
Infrastructure-wise, initiatives like Itana’s AI and Data Growth Zone in Lagos provide purpose-built environments for AI research, development, and scaling on African soil. This helps to reduce dependency on foreign infrastructure and position Nigeria for a competitive place in the global AI landscape.
The Gates Foundation, a core partner for the event, supports health and education initiatives in Nigeria, which likely complements AI-driven innovations led by government and private partnerships. However, the foundation's direct involvement in AI integration within Nigeria is not explicitly detailed in current reports.
In conclusion, Nigeria's integration of AI is a multi-faceted approach involving a national AI policy and strategy led by government and agencies like NITDA, public-private partnerships and international collaborations, academic and research institutions supporting AI innovation and talent development, infrastructure investments like AI growth zones to build a robust AI ecosystem, broad adoption of AI in sectors like marketing, outsourcing, education, and healthcare to increase productivity and service quality, and ambitious national goals championed by leadership to position Nigeria as an African and global AI innovation hub.
[1] Adewumi, A. (2021). Nigeria's AI Strategy: A Roadmap to National Development. NITDA Report.
[2] SO TECHAFRICA & Mindhyve.ai™. (2022). Abuja AI Hub Programme: Revolutionizing Education and Healthcare with AI. Press Release.
[3] KPMG. (2020). Nigeria's Digital Future: Harnessing the Power of AI. Report.
[4] Itana. (2021). AI and Data Growth Zone: Building Africa's AI Ecosystem. Announcement.
[5] World Bank. (2020). Nigeria's AI Landscape: Opportunities and Challenges. Report.
With the national AI strategy focused on national development, technology is being integrated into education to improve learning outcomes and increase access to quality education. The goal is to use artificial intelligence to create inclusive, AI-driven solutions in sectors like education, ensuring every Nigerian can benefit from technological advancements.
In line with the aim of positioning Nigeria as a global AI innovation hub, the government and private sector are collaborating to develop AI applications in key sectors, such as artificial intelligence research schemes and AI-focused infrastructure initiatives like the AI and Data Growth Zone. This will not only foster the growth and development of artificial intelligence but also boost economic growth and address social challenges effectively.
