Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, sees Nigeria’s immense AI potential as opportunities for the US tech giant to expand its footprints in Africa’s leading economic powerhouse.
The Google CEO, who met with President Bola Tinubu in Paris, in talks that focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) skills and innovation in Nigeria.
“We talked about the immense potential of AI in Nigeria, and how we can partner to expand AI skills, enable innovation, and support Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem,” according to Pichai.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet.
In a post shared on X, Pichai expressed enthusiasm about the discussions with President Tinubu, highlighting the immense potential of AI in Nigeria, emphasised the importance of partnership in expanding AI skills and enabling innovation within the country.
“We talked about the immense potential of AI in Nigeria, and how we can partner to expand AI skills, enable innovation, and support Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem,” according to Pichai.
The meeting, held in Paris on Wednesday, focused on the potential of AI to transform Nigeria’s tech ecosystem and enhance the country’s position in the global digital landscape.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), who attended the meeting, described the discussions as “extremely productive.”
He notes that the meeting underscored both the Nigerian government’s commitment to AI development and Google’s ongoing support for enhancing AI capabilities in critical sectors.
The meeting comes on the heels of previous initiatives launched by Google in Nigeria aimed at bolstering AI skills among Nigerians. In 2024, Google announced two programmes in partnership with the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.
The first initiative involved establishing the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), supported by a ₦100 million fund aimed at assisting Nigerian startups that leverage AI for innovative solutions.
The second initiative included a grant of ₦2.8 billion from Google.org to Data Science Nigeria to accelerate AI talent development across the country. This funding is intended to enhance ongoing efforts to upskill youth and address unemployment through targeted education in AI.
The Nigerian government has been proactive in its approach to integrating AI into its national agenda. Recently, it released a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy document that is currently under review by various ministries and agencies. This strategy aims to guide government efforts in harnessing AI technologies across different sectors.
Additionally, the government has established an AI Collective that will collaborate on research projects, hackathons, and seminars to promote an inclusive approach to Nigeria’s AI initiatives. This collective aims to foster innovation while ensuring that diverse voices are heard in shaping the future of AI in Nigeria.
In a bid to position Nigeria as a leader in AI within Africa, the government also launched a Large Language Model (LLM) project in 2024. This initiative is designed to train models in five low-resource languages and accented English to enhance language representation in existing datasets for developing AI solutions.
By fostering partnerships with global tech giants like Google, Nigeria says it hopes to create an environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship. The government believes that enhancing local talent through education and training will not only boost its tech ecosystem but also create new job opportunities for its citizens.
Home
