Nigeria to regulate AI adoption with new policy

By Ladi Patrick-Okwoli

The Federal Government is set to develop a policy to govern the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the country.

This is as the country aims to become a hub for pioneering intelligence solutions on the continent. Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, disclosed this at the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Workshop on Monday in Abuja.

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Bosun said the workshop underscored the country’s commitment to leveraging AI for sustainable development while harnessing its potential to fuel innovation, bolster national productivity, and enhance human welfare.

According to him, the AI workshop is not only critical but also presents an opportunity for the country to develop a strategy to maximise its potential in the sector.

He said, “Artificial Intelligence is still new, and everybody is grappling. What you see is the fragmented approach countries are taking. But it’s a global phenomenon. So, what’s going to happen is that in about three to five years’ time, we will start to harmonize the different thinking.

“Now that we are thinking about it, we can leapfrog; we don’t have to start from that silent approach. We can think locally and then say what it means for the world. So, Nigeria is ready to become one of the leading countries in Africa when it comes to AI. We are one of the few countries doing our strategy this way, investing in talents, AI, and computers, which most African countries are not doing.”

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Bosun argued that the country can offer leadership locally and regionally. He further stressed that the government is prioritising AI because of its potential to accelerate progress and raise productivity in its critical sector.