Sultan urges youth to harness AI for productivity, national growth

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on Nigerian youths to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation to boost workplace productivity and accelerate national development.

Speaking through the District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar Jabbi, at an AI Productivity Training hosted by the Sokoto Professional Network (SPN) to mark its third anniversary, the Sultan said deliberate efforts are needed to ensure no community is excluded from the global digital shift. He stressed that digital knowledge and innovation should be deployed to empower citizens, drive economic growth, and support sustainable development.

He commended SPN’s capacity-building programmes for equipping young people with practical, globally relevant skills in the digital economy.

Engr. Zayyanu Tambari Yabo, Chairman of SPN’s Board of Trustees, described AI as a defining technology of the 21st century, warning that Africa must not remain on the sidelines.

“If we want to progress as a society, we cannot live in denial. We must adopt, adapt, and embrace this trend,” he said, urging stronger collaboration among the Sokoto State Government, the Ministry of Digital Economy, and professional bodies.

Yabo noted the training targeted students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, exposing them to practical AI tools for learning, research, workplace efficiency, and business productivity.

He added that SPN has trained more than 1,000 people over the past three years in entrepreneurship, leadership, ICT, solar installation and maintenance, and career guidance for secondary school students.

Sokoto State Commissioner for Digital Economy, Bashar Umar Kwabo, said AI is central to the state’s digital transformation agenda, with programmes underway to expand digital literacy and equip youths with in-demand tech skills.

He urged participants to commit to lifelong learning and highlighted AI’s potential to improve public services and unlock new economic opportunities, emphasizing inclusion for women, youth, and underserved communities.

Other speakers, however, called for participants to build the digital competencies needed to stay competitive in an increasingly technology-driven world.