| By: Francis Onyemachi
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has commended Nigeria’s recognition by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as one of Africa’s leading AI economies, describing it as a strong endorsement of the country’s endeavors to prepare for the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.
In a statement shared on X, Tijani said the recognition follows Nigeria’s recent performance in the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) and the Oxford Government AI Readiness Index, which he said shows the country’s progress in creating an enabling environment for AI development.
“The International Monetary Fund’s recognition of Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading AI economies is an encouraging affirmation of the progress we are making to position our country for the opportunities of the AI era.
“Coming shortly after Nigeria’s strong performance in the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) and the Oxford Government AI Readiness Index, it reinforces our belief that deliberate investments in policy, talent and innovation can create the foundations for long-term economic transformation,” Tijani said.
The minister also referred to the IMF’s latest sub-Saharan Africa report, which called for continued investment in electricity, broadband infrastructure and digital skills to support AI adoption.
He said the Federal Government remains committed to building the infrastructure needed to support the growth of AI across the country.
Tijani highlighted several initiatives introduced over the past two years to strengthen Nigeria’s AI ecosystem. These include the National AI Strategy, the National AI Trust, AI Collective, the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub, the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and Project BRIDGE, an initiative aimed at expanding the country’s fibre infrastructure.
“Over the past two years, we have focused on building those foundations through initiatives such as the National AI Strategy, the National AI Trust, AI Collective, the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub, the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, and Project BRIDGE, our ambitious initiative to expand Nigeria’s fibre infrastructure.
“These efforts are guided by a simple objective: to ensure that Nigeria is not only prepared to adopt AI, but also to develop, deploy and scale AI solutions that address local challenges and create opportunities for our people.”
According to the minister, the initiatives are designed to ensure Nigeria is not only ready to adopt AI technologies but also able to develop and scale home-grown AI solutions that address local challenges while creating economic opportunities.
Tijani reiterated the government’s commitment to working with industry players, academia, development partners and innovators to accelerate AI adoption, strengthen digital infrastructure and build a globally competitive AI ecosystem.
While acknowledging that more work lies ahead, he said the IMF’s recognition is a positive indication that the ministry’s efforts to position Nigeria as a leading AI economy are yielding results.
