Nigeria Aims for Global AI Leadership at UN Session

Nigeria is striving to establish itself as a key player in the global artificial intelligence (AI) services market, moving beyond traditional outsourcing. This ambition was articulated during the “Hire from Nigeria” session organized by the Nigeria Economic and Trade Advancement Programme at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

Kashifu Abdullahi, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency, emphasized the need to equip the Nigerian workforce not only to utilize AI but also to develop and deploy it for international markets. He was joined by Jumoke Oduwole, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and Moruf Alausa, the Minister of Education, in discussions about impact sourcing, global trade, and job creation.

Nigeria's digital economy strategy includes a planned 90,000-kilometre fibre network and enhanced data protection frameworks, aiming to attract digital investment and support AI applications. Abdullahi noted that the country must address challenges related to connectivity, computing capacity, and data governance to succeed in this endeavor.