On February 12, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held a meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in Paris, France, regarding Nigeria's advancement in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital innovation. The meeting aimed to explore potential partnerships to establish Nigeria as a global technology hub.
President Tinubu highlighted the discussions as a crucial step towards leveraging AI and digital technology for national development. He stated, “We are exploring partnership opportunities with Google that will center on five critical areas: enhancing scalable cloud infrastructure, equipping our workforce with essential skills for the future, promoting AI innovation and research, driving cloud adoption, and improving Nigeria’s status in the global technology landscape as a hub for innovation and AI transition.”
The President also noted Nigeria’s growing AI ecosystem, mentioning Awarri Technologies as a key player in the sector. He revealed that the government is working with Awarri to develop the necessary AI software infrastructure tailored to Nigeria’s unique needs in arts, culture, and languages—areas often overlooked by current AI technologies.
This initiative includes the creation of data capture platforms and a large language model for Nigerian languages in collaboration with the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).
Tinubu emphasized that these discussions align with the administration's Renewed Hope Agenda, focusing on economic diversification through industrialization, digitization, and innovation. He pointed out that this initiative aims to empower businesses, create new opportunities, and position Nigeria as a significant contributor to the global digital economy.
The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy will oversee the strategic management of the partnership, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will handle its execution.
In conclusion, President Tinubu declared, “Nigeria is poised to take the lead in AI and technology; this marks the commencement of an exciting journey.” With this initiative to promote AI-driven growth, Nigeria aims to position itself at the forefront of Africa's digital transformation, leveraging international partnerships to stimulate innovation and drive economic progress.
