By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Nigeria has been recognised
by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as one of Africa’s leading artificial
intelligence (AI) economies, a development the country’s Minister of
Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, says reflects
the progress being made to position the country for the opportunities of the AI
era.
Tijani said the recognition
follows Nigeria’s strong performance in both the Global Index on Responsible AI
(GIRAI) and the Oxford Government AI Readiness Index, reinforcing the country’s
strategy of investing in policy, talent development and innovation to drive
long-term economic transformation.
He noted that the IMF’s AI
in Sub-Saharan Africa report also highlighted the need for sustained
investment in electricity, broadband infrastructure and digital skills to
unlock AI’s full potential across the region.
According to the minister,
the Nigerian government has spent the past two years laying the foundations for
AI development through initiatives including the National AI Strategy, the
National AI Trust, the AI Collective, the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub, the 3 Million
Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and Project BRIDGE, a national initiative
aimed at expanding fibre broadband infrastructure.
He said these programmes are
designed to ensure that Nigeria is not only ready to adopt AI technologies but
is also capable of developing, deploying and scaling AI solutions that address
local challenges while creating new economic opportunities.
Tijani acknowledged that
significant work remains but said the international recognition demonstrates
that Nigeria is making steady progress toward building a globally competitive
AI ecosystem.
He reaffirmed the
government's commitment to working with the private sector, academia,
development partners and innovators to address barriers to AI adoption,
strengthen digital infrastructure, develop world-class digital talent and
position Nigeria as a leader in responsible and inclusive AI development across
Africa.
