At a recent fireside chat at Moonshot by TechCabal, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, stressed that artificial intelligence (AI) holds the key to transforming Nigeria into an economic powerhouse. Despite critics arguing that the country’s AI ambitions overlook critical infrastructure issues, Tijani remains firm that AI is crucial for future-proofing the nation.
During his session with Tomiwa Aladekomo, CEO of Big Cabal Media, Tijani explained that the ministry’s focus should be on creating new economic opportunities rather than tackling pre-existing issues like electricity and education. He sees AI as a potential game-changer, particularly in digitizing African data for large language models (LLMs), positioning Nigeria to fill the gap and lead in the global AI race.
The Five Pillars of Nigeria’s AI Strategy: Tijani outlined five strategic pillars for Nigeria’s AI-driven future:
- Talent Development: Through initiatives like the Three Million Technical Talents (3MTT) program, the government seeks to build a talent pipeline, positioning Nigeria as a “net exporter of talent.”
- Digital Infrastructure: The ministry plans to extend the nation’s fiber backbone by an additional 90,000 km, creating a total of 125,000 km.
- Pro-Innovation Policy: Tijani emphasized that the government’s policies should support innovation rather than just revenue generation.
- AI Leadership: He underscored Nigeria’s need to lead in creating localized AI data, filling the gap where LLMs lack African context.
- Platform Building: Tijani envisions his legacy as one that revolutionizes government technology platforms, including a Geographic Information System (GIS) and an expansive fiber network.
Despite infrastructure challenges, Tijani’s goal is to establish Nigeria as a digital leader, integrating AI into its economic foundations while preparing for the future technology-driven era.