Nigeria’s bold AI strategy: A continental model for responsible innovation
27 mai 2025
Lagos, May 2025, Nigeria has officially launched its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, marking a decisive step toward positioning the country as West Africa’s AI innovation hub. The announcement was made by Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, during the unveiling of the Nigeria Artificial Intelligence Collective Industry (NAICI).
More than just a policy announcement, this launch reflects a collaborative, forward-looking approach that brings together government, academia, and industry stakeholders to accelerate AI development across sectors and align innovation with national development goals.
A Strategy Built on Local Expertise and Global Vision
What sets Nigeria’s AI strategy apart is its inclusive development model. According to Dr. Tijani, the strategy was crafted through extensive engagement with Nigerian researchers, engineers, and AI experts, both within the country and across the diaspora. This approach has earned international recognition, reflecting Nigeria’s effort to craft a plan rooted in national realities while aligned with global best practices.
In concrete terms, the Nigerian government has already begun funding applied research and partnering with private sector actors to transform strategic sectors through AI. The country is also building infrastructure and promoting AI research to enable innovation that is safe, inclusive, and ethically grounded.
The Nigeria AI Collective: A Platform for Collaboration and Action
The newly launched AI Collective will serve as a community of practice, supporting implementation and governance of the national strategy. It is envisioned as an ecosystem where diverse stakeholders—startups, academics, civil society, and regulators—can collaborate to ensure that ethics, safety, and inclusion remain central to AI development in Nigeria.
Dr. Olubayo Akande, CEO of Data Science Nigeria (DSN), outlined the AI Collective’s priorities:
Research coordination
Sector-specific innovation
Policy alignment
International cooperation
The Collective will also promote sectoral AI champions across key industries such as health, fintech, agriculture, telecoms, creative economy, and real estate. These champions will help drive practical AI adoption and foster innovation that directly addresses societal challenges.
Connecting the Diaspora: A Strategic Asset
One of the most innovative elements of the strategy is Diaspora Connect, a platform launched to harness the talent and resources of Nigerians living abroad. By facilitating their contribution to local AI initiatives, Nigeria aims to build bridges between global expertise and national innovation priorities.
A Vision Anchored on Five Strategic Pillars
Prof. Yinka David-West, Dean of Lagos Business School, emphasized that Nigeria’s AI strategy is as ambitious as it is structured, with 12 clearly defined goals and 34 initiatives. These initiatives are anchored on five core pillars:
Infrastructure Development – Investing in data centers, compute power, and digital access.
Building a World-Class AI Ecosystem – Supporting talent development, research, and entrepreneurship.
Sector-Wide AI Adoption – Accelerating AI integration in critical sectors.
Responsible and Ethical AI Use – Embedding human rights, transparency, and bias mitigation into all AI systems.
Robust Governance and Regulation – Establishing institutions, legal frameworks, and participatory oversight.
A Call to Unity and Urgency
Despite the momentum, Dr. Tijani reminded stakeholders that Nigeria must close the global AI gap. "AI will widen disparities between nations if we fail to act now," he warned, calling for a collective, inclusive, and coordinated effort to ensure that AI becomes a driver of productivity and shared prosperity.
By rooting its strategy in local talent, ethical governance, and collaborative action, Nigeria offers a model for the continent—a way to pursue AI not only as a tool of economic transformation but also as a force for social cohesion, innovation, and sovereignty.
