The Federal Governments should create environments that enable the private sector and civil societies to leverage AI for public benefit, a new National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) report says as AI growth continues to shape global innovation.
Artificial intelligence (AI), the report says, has quickly become a key element of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, transforming industries, government functions, and everyday life. While AI offers vast opportunities for economic growth and innovation, it also raises concerns about ethics, data privacy, and job displacement. Governments face the challenge of managing these issues and ensuring that the advantages of AI are accessible to all citizens.
In response, Nigeria is launching its first National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy. This initiative aims to leverage AI for sustainable development, innovation, and national productivity. By establishing the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR) and supporting AI-focused projects, Nigeria seeks to position itself as a leading AI adopter in Africa, promoting a knowledge-driven economy and advancing AI research.
“Nigeria’s lack of an enablement platform in the form of computer power has been identified in the Tony Blair Institute Report on National Compute Power. Specifically, the Institute categorised Nigeria as a “Rising Giant,” a level-3 player on a 7-level scale,” the report says.
The NAIS report states that “It is against this backdrop that Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy hosted a 4-day workshop themed “Developing the High-level Strategy and Implementation Plan for a National AI Strategy for Nigeria” between April 15 and 18, 2024, to co-create a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS), led by Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister for Communications, Information and Digital Economy.”
The report underscores that despite its potential, Nigeria faces significant challenges in AI readiness. While Nigeria is emerging as an AI hub, it lags behind global peers in terms of infrastructure and investment.
According to the 2023 Oxford Insight AI Readiness Index, Nigeria is ranked 103rd out of 193 countries. The Global AI Index places it 61st out of 62 nations assessed. Additionally, there are noted gaps in compute power and strategic implementation. To fully leverage AI for economic growth and sustainable development, the government must address these challenges.
“Nigeria’s lack of an enablement platform in the form of computer power has been identified in the Tony Blair Institute Report on National Compute Power. Specifically, the Institute categorised Nigeria as a “Rising Giant,” a level-3 player on a 7-level scale,” the report says.
These assessments underscore Nigeria’s emerging potential and the critical need for strategic AI development, leveraging global insights to address local challenges and capitalise on opportunities.
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