Nigeria is positioning itself as Africa’s leading hub for Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation and development, according to the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.
Speaking during a Fireside Chat at the AI Stage of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2025 in Dubai, Inuwa reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging AI for national development, innovation, and global competitiveness.
He said Nigeria’s AI journey is deliberate and strategic, anchored on responsible, ethical, and inclusive innovation. “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,” Inuwa stated.
The NITDA boss explained that the country’s AI strategy is guided by five core principles — responsibility, ethics, inclusivity, sustainability, and collaboration. “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 said the National AI Strategy is structured around three key objectives and five strategic pillars designed to build foundational infrastructure, strengthen the ecosystem, accelerate adoption across sectors, promote ethical AI practices, and ensure effective governance.
He highlighted AI’s growing impact across agriculture, healthcare, education, and finance, noting that the technology is already transforming key sectors. “In agriculture, we are helping farmers make informed decisions using real-time data. In healthcare, AI enables faster diagnosis and access to care in rural areas. In education, we are embedding AI literacy into learning so our young people are not left behind. And in finance, AI tools are detecting fraud, improving credit access, and driving financial inclusion,” he said.
The NITDA DG also revealed that government is exploring AI applications to enhance public services. “We envision a future where citizens can obtain passports or business permits in minutes rather than weeks. AI can make that a reality and rebuild trust between government and citizens by making public services smarter, faster, and more transparent,” he noted.
Inuwa disclosed that about 70% of Nigeria’s online population already uses generative AI tools — higher than the global average of 48%. He attributed this to Nigeria’s youthful population and ongoing digital talent initiatives, including the **Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL)** programme targeting 95% national literacy by 2030, and the **3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT)** initiative — one of the world’s largest digital upskilling projects.
He also announced plans to develop Nigeria’s indigenous Large Language Model (LLM), known as **M-ATLAS**, designed to reflect the country’s linguistic and cultural diversity. “Nigeria has over 500 languages and countless dialects. Foreign AI models can’t capture our nuances. M-ATLAS will understand our culture, expressions, and local context,” he explained.
Drawing parallels to Africa’s rapid mobile technology adoption, Inuwa expressed optimism that the continent could exceed that success in AI. “The difference this time is that we are building from within, shaping the rules, not catching up with them,” he said.
“AI is not about machines replacing humans; it is about amplifying human potential. Our mission is to use AI responsibly to drive prosperity, inclusivity, and sustainable development. If we get it right, AI can deliver tenfold or even hundredfold improvements in productivity and innovation,” he concluded.
