Nigeria has reaffirmed its determination to become Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) powerhouse by strategically leveraging technology for innovation, inclusion, and national growth.
By Chimezie Godfrey
Nigeria has reaffirmed its determination to become Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) powerhouse by strategically leveraging technology for innovation, inclusion, and national growth.
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, made this known during a Fireside Chat at the AI Stage of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2025 in Dubai.
Speaking on Nigeria’s AI journey, Inuwa said the country’s adoption of AI is guided by a clear and deliberate vision. “Our vision is clear on how we can harness the transformative power of AI through responsible, ethical, and inclusive innovation to foster sustainable development through collaboration,” he stated.
He explained that Nigeria’s AI strategy is anchored on five guiding principles — responsibility, ethics, inclusivity, sustainability, and collaboration — which serve as the compass for the nation’s AI development.
“These are not just words; they are our compass. Everything we are doing in AI must reflect these values. We are not just building systems; we are shaping a future that works for everyone,” he added.
Inuwa further noted that the National AI Strategy revolves around three key objectives and five strategic pillars — building foundational infrastructure, strengthening the ecosystem, accelerating sectoral adoption, promoting responsible innovation, and ensuring good governance.
Highlighting AI’s transformative impact, he pointed out its growing role in agriculture, healthcare, education, and finance.
“In agriculture, we are helping farmers make informed decisions using real-time data on soil, weather, and crop health. In healthcare, AI is enabling faster diagnosis and extending services to rural areas. In education, we are embedding AI literacy into formal learning so our young people are not left behind. And in finance, AI tools are detecting fraud, improving credit access, and driving financial inclusion,” Inuwa said.
He also revealed how AI could revolutionize governance, envisioning a future where citizens can obtain passports or business permits within minutes.
“AI can help make that a reality. We see it as an opportunity to rebuild trust between government and citizens by making public services smarter, faster, and more transparent,” he added.
According to the NITDA boss, 70% of Nigeria’s online population already uses generative AI tools — significantly higher than the global average of 48%. He attributed this to the nation’s youthful population and sustained investment in digital talent.
He listed key initiatives such as the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) programme targeting 95% digital literacy by 2030, the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme — one of the world’s largest digital upskilling projects — and the policy to integrate digital literacy at all educational levels.
Inuwa also unveiled plans for Nigeria’s indigenous Large Language Model (LLM), named M-ATLAS, designed to reflect the nation’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
“Nigeria has over 500 languages and countless dialects. If we rely only on foreign AI models, they won’t understand our nuances, culture, or people. That is why we are building M-ATLAS, an indigenous LLM that reflects our diversity and eliminates bias. We want an AI that understands the meaning of ‘akwa’, ‘ekaabo’, or ‘sannu,’ not just translates them,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Inuwa said Africa could replicate — and even surpass — its mobile technology revolution through AI.
“The difference this time is that we are building from within, shaping the rules, not catching up with them,” he asserted.
“AI is not about machines replacing humans; it is about amplifying human potential. It is strategy first, technology second. Our mission is to use AI responsibly to drive prosperity, inclusivity, and sustainable development. If we get it right, AI can help Nigeria achieve tenfold or even hundredfold improvement in productivity and innovation. That is the future we’re building,” he concluded.
