President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making Nigeria a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation.
In a post shared on his X handle today, Wednesday, February 12, the president revealed details of a high-level discussion with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in Paris, where they explored strategic partnerships aimed at transforming Nigeria’s digital economy.
Tinubu highlighted five key areas of collaboration with Google, including expanding cloud infrastructure, equipping Nigeria’s workforce with future-ready digital skills, fostering AI research and innovation, accelerating cloud adoption, and solidifying Nigeria’s reputation as a global tech hub.
A significant part of the conversation focused on leveraging AI to address Nigeria’s unique challenges. Tinubu noted that his government is already working with local AI company Awarri Technologies to build indigenous AI software solutions tailored to Nigeria’s cultural and linguistic diversity. This includes the development of data capture platforms and a large language model (LLM) for Nigerian languages, in collaboration with the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR).
“This partnership conversation with Google aligns seamlessly with our Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasises economic diversification through industrialisation, digitisation, and innovation,” Tinubu stated.
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He added that the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy will oversee the strategic implementation of these initiatives, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will take the lead in execution.
With these efforts, the Tinubu administration aims to position Nigeria as a leader in AI adoption, create new economic opportunities, and empower businesses through technological advancements.
“Nigeria is poised to take the lead in AI and technology—this is merely the start of an exciting journey!” Tinubu declared.