Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has reiterated Nigeria’s determination to play a significant role in influencing the global artificial intelligence (AI) scene, emphasizing that the nation’s initiatives are firmly rooted in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Inuwa gave an overview of Nigeria’s strategic roadmap for emerging technologies during a plenary session titled “Technology, Migration & Trade Representation” at the Stakeholders’ Interactive engagement with the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, which was hosted at the State House in Abuja. He pointed out that the seventh priority of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on accelerating industrialization, digitalization, creative industries, manufacturing, and innovation, places a high priority on economic diversity and tolerance. He claims that this vision now informs the roadmap of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy and directs NITDA’s ongoing efforts to make Nigeria an African digital powerhouse. The NITDA boss explained that at the heart of this ambition is Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, which lays out a clear pathway for the country’s technological future. He described the first priority as building foundational infrastructure that will allow Nigeria to play a meaningful role in the AI journey. According to him, this involves expanding connectivity, developing sovereign cloud platforms, and building clean and representative national datasets. He noted the launch of the National Multilingual Large Language Model in New York as a major milestone, saying, “For us, it is important that our languages, our culture, and our people are represented in the AI of the future. That is why we built Nigeria’s own multilingual large language model — to ensure that technology reflects our identity and diversity.” Inuwa also stressed the importance of nurturing the ecosystem by empowering startups and innovators, anchored by the Nigerian Startup Act which provides a legal and institutional framework for growth. “Innovation does not happen in isolation. You require an ecosystem that links investors, innovators, the government, and international partners. Not only are we promoting entrepreneurship through our startup policies, but we are also consciously putting inclusivity first and providing women founders with the opportunity to succeed,” he continued. Regarding sectoral transformation, Inuwa clarified that artificial intelligence (AI) is being incorporated into important sectors like healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and education in order to significantly increase productivity. However, he added that AI will not replace people but rather will support human endeavor. “With AI, we can achieve ten times the productivity we are seeing today. Imagine what it means when our doctors can diagnose faster, our farmers can predict yields better, and our manufacturers can cut inefficiencies. That is the kind of leap Nigeria is preparing for,” he stated. Inuwa pointed out that if technology is not designed with inclusivity in mind, vulnerable groups could be left behind. “If you are digitally invisible, AI will not consider you in its decision-making. That is why inclusivity is not optional — it is central. In every one of our initiatives, we insist on at least 40 percent women representation, because we cannot build a future that excludes half of our population,” he said. He concluded by stressing the importance of strong governance and regulation, noting that Nigeria is co-creating its AI governance framework with the ecosystem to ensure sustainability. “We cannot build this future in silos. We are working hand in hand with innovators, industry leaders, and the global community to create policies that safeguard innovation while protecting citizens. This is how Nigeria will lead responsibly.” According to Inuwa, Nigeria is sending a strong message to the world with this audacious vision: the nation is creating the future and encouraging others to innovate with it, rather than waiting to be led along in the AI revolution. He emphasized, “Our journey is about people, prosperity, and establishing Nigeria as a global leader in influencing the future of artificial intelligence, not just about technology.”
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