Nigeria Is Poised To Take The Lead In AI – President Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said his government was ready to leverage the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology to grow the nation’s economy.

Naija News reports that President Tinubu stated this in a partnership discussion with Google Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai, in Paris, France.

In a statement on his X handle, the President explained that the partnership would focus on enhancing scalable cloud infrastructure, equipping Nigeria’s workforce with essential skills for the future, promoting AI innovation and research,  and driving cloud adoption.

The partnership would also elevate Nigeria’s standing in the global tech landscape as a hub for innovation and AI transition

“I enjoyed engaging in crucial discussions about advancing Nigeria’s role in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital innovation with you in Paris, Sundar Pichai.

“We are also exploring partnership opportunities with Google, which will focus on five key areas: enhancing scalable cloud infrastructure, equipping our workforce with essential skills for the future, promoting AI innovation and research, driving cloud adoption, and elevating Nigeria’s standing in the global tech landscape as a hub for innovation and AI transition,” he said.

President Tinubu also highlighted Nigeria’s exploits in the AI space and assured his administration’s support to ensure the partnership achieved the goals of economic diversification through industrialization, digitalization and innovation.

“It is worth noting that Nigeria already has some bright prospects in the AI space, including the likes of Awarri Technologies, with whom the Federal Government is currently collaborating to build critical AI software infrastructure to meet the needs of the local market unique to our arts and culture, languages, and society, amongst others, which have mostly been put on the backburner by current existing models. This includes data capture platforms and an LLM for Nigerian languages in partnership with our National Centre for AI and Robotics.

“This partnership conversation with Google aligns seamlessly with our Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasizes economic diversification through industrialization, digitization, and innovation. This will empower businesses, create new opportunities, and establish Nigeria as a significant player in the global digital economy.

“The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy will provide strategic oversight, while NITDA will spearhead the implementation.

“Nigeria is poised to take the lead in AI and technology—this is merely the start of an exciting journey!” Tinubu added.