President Bola Tinubu has expressed Nigeria’s commitment to spearhead Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation in Africa, with plans to collaborate with tech giant Google to achieve this ambitious goal.
The President announced the collaboration with Google via his official X account on Wednesday, revealing details of his recent meeting with the CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, in France.
He expressed his delight in the interaction and meeting with the CEO of Google, which was centered on exploring opportunities to bolster Nigeria’s role as a trailblazer in Artificial Intelligence and digital innovation.
President Tinubu said, “Nigeria is poised to take the lead in AI and technology – this is merely the start of an exciting journey!
“We are exploring partnership opportunities with Google, which will focus on five key areas: enhancing scalable cloud infrastructure, equipping our workforce with essential skills for the future, promoting AI innovation and research, driving cloud adoption, and elevating Nigeria’s standing in the global tech landscape as a hub for innovation and AI transition.”
President Tinubu also highlighted Nigeria’s existing potential in the AI field, specifically mentioning the promising Awarri Technologies. He disclosed that the Nigerian government is presently working with Awarri to create AI software infrastructure tailored to the unique needs of the Nigerian market.
He noted that the partnership conversation with Google aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his government, which, he said, emphasized economic diversification through industrialization, digitization, and innovation.
“This will empower businesses, create new opportunities, and establish Nigeria as a significant player in the global digital economy,” the president added.
He stated that the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy will provide high-level guidance and support for the project, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will be responsible for implementing the critical AI infrastructure initiatives.
