According to Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Nigeria is relying on artificial intelligence (AI) as part of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to transform the most populous country in Africa into a $1 trillion economy.
His comments come after he was listed alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI founder Sam Altman in TIME magazine’s 2025 list of the 100 most influential figures in AI. He was acknowledged for helping to shape the technology’s future globally.
Citing a national policy, research initiatives, and partnerships with international technology companies, he characterised recent advancements in AI as revolutionary.
“To co-create the long-term strategy for the responsible use and development of AI, we brought together more than 120 experts of Nigerian descent,” Tijani posted on LinkedIn. This acknowledgement strengthens our conviction that Nigeria can lead the world in the ethical and inclusive application of AI to boost productivity.
Last Monday, the National Economic Council formally approved and revealed the framework for Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy ambition. All things considered, Nigeria’s leadership demonstrates a strong plan of action and purpose to achieve its economic goal by 2030.
From a technological standpoint, the government has been testing AI applications in fields that it claims will have both social and economic benefits, including as healthcare, agriculture, education, and financial inclusion. Nigeria is also assisting in the scaling of advanced AI solutions created by regional entrepreneurs by offering cash, resources, and mentorship, with assistance from partners such as Google and the Gates Foundation.
In order to maintain the momentum, Tijani announced the establishment of the AI Trust, a group of national leaders charged with directing long-term investments in the field, and the AI Collective, a community of researchers and practitioners supported by the philanthropic organisation Luminate.
“Our commitment is still unwavering: to make sure AI not only spurs innovation but also helps create the $1 trillion economy that President Tinubu has envisioned,” Tijani stated.
Nigeria is developing its technical expertise, which is the cornerstone for creating a robust AI ecosystem with government involvement and collaborations, despite the lack of vast infrastructure.
Many of the graduates of Tijani’s 3 Million Technical Talent program, which aims to give Nigerians technical and AI skills, are used to digitise government processes and create datasets for AI systems.
