In Nigeria, the government, led by Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, has launched a series of initiatives to position the country as an AI hub.
Recent efforts include a N2.8 billion investment by Google to accelerate AI talent development and an earlier N100 million commitment to the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) AI Fund.
However, critics argue that Nigeria’s infrastructural challenges—such as erratic power supply and limited internet penetration—could impede meaningful progress in the AI sector.
Despite these concerns, the government’s push has attracted significant global interest, signaling a potential turning point for the country’s digital economy.
At the 2024 African Economic Conference (AEC) held in Gaborone, Botswana, Natalie Jabangwe, Executive Secretary of the Timbuktoo Foundation, highlighted that despite strides in digital inclusion, Africa’s foundational infrastructure remains inadequate to capitalize on AI’s potential.
“There is a big buzz and hype about AI, but do we have the technological infrastructure to derive and gain the benefits of this evolution? No, not really,” said Jabangwe.
Adding to this, Alain Ndayishimiye, Head of AI and Machine Learning at Rwanda’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, cited Rwanda’s struggles with early-stage adoption of AI due to infrastructural and regulatory challenges.
Dr. Pedro Conceicao, co-author of the forthcoming 2025 Human Development Report (HDR), emphasized that Africa could unlock significant benefits from AI if the right policies and infrastructure are implemented.