The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy in Nigeria, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has emphasized the need for the country to establish a national strategy for harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive sustainable development. Tijani highlighted the transformative power of AI across various sectors and its potential impact on economic growth and social progress.
A document titled “Co-creating a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Nigeria” shared by the minister discussed the economic opportunities associated with adopting AI. Quoting the International Finance Corporation, the document stated that the strategic implementation of AI could contribute up to $234 billion to Africa’s GDP by 2030.
However, the document also acknowledged that the integration of AI into critical domains like healthcare, finance, and security presents challenges related to ethics, bias, transparency, job displacement, and privacy. It emphasized the importance of a human-centered approach to ensure fairness and accountability in AI systems.
The ministry emphasized the necessity of a national AI strategy to guide the responsible advancement of AI technology in Nigeria. The goal is to align AI innovation with national objectives such as job creation, social inclusion, and sustainable development. The ministry also highlighted its intention to collaborate with top AI researchers of Nigerian origin globally to co-create the national AI strategy.