By Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, Northern Nigeria
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to becoming a key shaper in the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, stressing that the country’s efforts are deeply anchored on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
This is according to a press statement e-authored by the Director of Corporate Communications & Media Relations at NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar.
Speaking during a plenary session themed “Technology, Migration & Trade Representation” at the Stakeholders’ Interactive engagement with the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, held at the State House in Abuja, north central, Nigeria, Mallam Abdullahi outlined Nigeria’s strategic roadmap for emerging technologies.
Abdullahi noted that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda placed strong emphasis on economic diversification and inclusivity, with priority number seven focusing on accelerating industrialization, digitalization, creative industries, manufacturing, and innovation.
According to him, this vision had informed the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s roadmap, and guided NITDA’s ongoing initiatives to transform Nigeria into a digital powerhouse in Africa.
The NITDA boss explained that at the heart of this ambition was Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, which laid out a clear pathway for the country’s technological future. He described the first priority as building foundational infrastructure that would allow Nigeria to play a meaningful role in the AI journey. According to him, this involved 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.”
Abdullahi 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 need an ecosystem that connects government, innovators, investors, and global partners. Through our startup policies, we are not just encouraging entrepreneurship; we are deliberately prioritizing inclusivity and giving women founders the space to thrive,” he added.
On sectoral transformation, Abdullahi explained that AI was being integrated into key industries such as healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and education to radically boost productivity, adding that AI would not replace humans; rather, it would enhance 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.
Abdullahi pointed out that if technology was 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 was 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.”
With this bold vision, Abdullahi said Nigeria was sending a clear message to the world: the country was not waiting to be carried along in the AI revolution but was building the future and inviting others to innovate alongside it.
“Our journey is not just about technology, it is about people, prosperity, and positioning Nigeria as a global leader in shaping the future of artificial intelligence,” he emphasised.
