GITEX 2025: Nigeria Eyes AI Leadership in Africa — NITDA DG
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GITEX 2025: Nigeria Eyes AI Leadership in Africa — NITDA DG
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
Nigeria has declared its readiness to take the lead in Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation across Africa, as the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, reaffirmed the country’s strategic commitment to leveraging AI for national growth, innovation, and global competitiveness.
Inuwa made the declaration while speaking during a Fireside Chat at the AI Stage of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
According to him, Nigeria’s approach to AI adoption is deliberate and anchored on a clear national vision that prioritises responsible, ethical, and inclusive innovation.
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“Our vision is clear on how we can harness the transformative power of AI through responsible, ethical, and inclusive innovation to foster sustainable development through collaboration,” Inuwa said.
He explained that Nigeria’s AI strategy rests on five guiding principles — responsibility, ethics, inclusivity, sustainability, and collaboration — which he described as the country’s “compass” for all AI-related initiatives.
“These are not just words; they are our compass. Everything we are doing in AI must reflect these values. We are not just building systems; we are shaping a future that works for everyone,” he added.
The NITDA boss said the National AI Strategy is structured around three key objectives and five strategic pillars, which include building digital infrastructure, strengthening the ecosystem, accelerating adoption in critical sectors, promoting responsible use, and ensuring effective governance.
He noted that AI is already transforming several sectors in Nigeria, including agriculture, healthcare, education, and finance.
“In agriculture, we are helping farmers make informed decisions using real-time data on soil, weather, and crop health. In healthcare, AI enables faster diagnosis and expands medical services to rural areas. In education, we are embedding AI literacy into formal learning so our young people are not left behind. And in finance, AI tools are detecting fraud, improving credit access, and deepening financial inclusion,” he stated.
Inuwa disclosed that the Federal Government is exploring how AI can be integrated into governance to improve efficiency and rebuild public trust.
“We envision a future where citizens can obtain passports or business permits in minutes rather than weeks. AI can help make that a reality by making public services smarter, faster, and more transparent,” he said.
He revealed that about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s online population currently uses generative AI tools, surpassing the global average of 48 per cent, which he attributed to the nation’s youthful population and sustained investment in digital skills.
Inuwa listed some of the government’s major digital initiatives, including the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) programme, which targets 95 per cent national digital literacy by 2030, and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, one of the world’s largest digital upskilling projects.
Outlining Nigeria’s cultural and linguistic diversity, the NITDA DG announced the development of an indigenous Large Language Model (LLM) known as M-ATLAS, which will reflect the country’s unique identity.
“Nigeria has over 500 languages and countless dialects. If we rely only on foreign AI models, they won’t understand our nuances, culture, or people. That is why we are building M-ATLAS — an indigenous model that reflects our diversity and eliminates bias,” he explained.
“We want an AI that understands what ‘akwa’, ‘ekaabo’, or ‘sannu’ mean — not just translates them.”
Inuwa drew parallels between Africa’s rapid mobile technology adoption and its growing participation in the global AI ecosystem, saying the continent is well-positioned to take a leading role this time around.
“The difference this time is that we are building from within, shaping the rules, not catching up with them,” he said.
“AI is not about machines replacing humans; it’s about amplifying human potential. Our mission is to use AI responsibly to drive prosperity, inclusivity, and sustainable development.”
The NITDA DG expressed optimism that, with the right policies and collaboration, Nigeria could experience massive growth in productivity and innovation powered by AI.
“If we get it right, AI can help Nigeria achieve tenfold or even hundredfold improvement in productivity and innovation. That is the future we’re building,” he said.
