The Federal Government of has reaffirmed its commitment to responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI), with the Director General of (NITDA), , outlining the country’s strategic direction at the held in .
Delivering a virtual address, Abdullahi highlighted the National AI Strategy as a central framework guiding Nigeria’s ambition to shift from being a consumer of AI technologies to becoming a builder and owner of indigenous AI systems.
He stressed the need for adaptive policies, strong ethical data governance, and the development of local AI infrastructure. According to him, many global AI models are not trained on African datasets, creating the risk of bias against local languages, cultures, and demographics.
To address this gap, Abdullahi called for significant investment in retraining AI models using inclusive local datasets to ensure that AI systems reflect Nigeria’s values and societal realities.
He also urged strategic collaboration with global technology companies and hyperscalers, while strengthening domestic capacity and infrastructure to support sustainable growth in the sector.
Reiterating the government’s vision, the NITDA Director General said Nigeria’s focus goes beyond AI innovation, aiming instead to build AI systems that safeguard national values, promote inclusive development, and accelerate the country’s digital transformation under the National AI Strategy.
