At the opening of GITEX Nigeria 2025 in Abuja, Dr. Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, issued a strong call for African countries to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for productivity, competitiveness, and job creation.
Tijani warned that Africa risks being left behind if the continent does not fast-track AI adoption across key economic sectors.
He highlighted that nations already leveraging AI are achieving exponential gains in agriculture, finance, logistics, and education, while many African economies still rely on guesswork and outdated practices.
“AI will widen the productivity gap between nations. Countries that are already ahead will move even faster, while those still catching up will find it even more difficult,” Tijani said.
AI in Agriculture: A Stark Contrast
Drawing from his recent visits to Brazil and South Africa, Tijani cited precision agriculture as a prime example of AI’s transformative power.
Farmers in Brazil now deploy soil sensors, predictive analytics, drones, and satellite imaging to boost yields and cut input costs by up to 95%.
By comparison, Nigerian farmers still average 2.5 tonnes of maize per hectare, far below Brazil’s 10–12 tonnes.
Africa’s AI Roadmap
To guide Africa’s AI journey, Tijani outlined four priorities:
- Balancing Sovereignty with Collaboration – developing national AI strategies while pursuing continental standards to avoid fragmentation.
- Leveraging Africa’s Youthful Population – equipping young people with skills for the future through programmes like Nigeria’s “3 Million Technical Talent”
- Digitising African Realities – building relevant datasets in agriculture, health, and education to ensure AI solutions reflect local needs.
- Investing in Infrastructure – expanding affordable connectivity and clean energy to support AI-driven development.
Tijani stressed that Africa must aim to become a producer of innovation, not merely a consumer.
“If we cannot close this gap, Africa risks becoming a continent that imports food, imports services, and imports innovation. That is not the Africa we want,” he said, urging stakeholders to move from dialogue to action.
NITDA DG Calls for Shared AI Infrastructure
Supporting Tijani’s message, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), called for pan-African collaboration in building shared AI infrastructure to ensure the continent is not left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Any country left behind in this AI revolution risks catastrophe, while those who lead will shape the world,” Inuwa said.
He cited research by Epoch AI, which projects automation could increase global economic growth by 20%, potentially doubling the world economy within five years.
Inuwa outlined four areas critical for Africa’s AI capacity building:
- Human Capital – harnessing Africa’s youthful, digitally native population.
- Infrastructure – expanding connectivity, data centres, and local computing power.
- Policy and Legal Frameworks – with Nigeria already leading under Tijani’s guidance.
- Enabling Ecosystem – supporting start-ups, AI research, and global partnerships, with Nigeria already funding 45 AI-focused start-ups.
He further stressed the importance of developing local large language models (LLMs) to ensure African values and cultures are represented in global AI systems.
Global Partnerships and Nigeria’s Digital Future
Closing the summit, Trixie LohMirmand, executive vice president of the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), emphasized Nigeria’s role as a digital frontier.
With its population projected to grow from 230 million today to 400 million by 2050, she said Nigeria’s opportunities far outweigh its current challenges.
“Nigeria is not defined by the headlines or its current challenges, but by the scale of opportunities of tomorrow. Those who stay the course are the future of Africa,” LohMirmand said.
She highlighted GITEX as a global ecosystem for investors, innovators, and start-ups, reaffirming DWTC’s commitment to providing a platform where Nigerian SMEs and innovators can access global partnerships and compete on the world stage.
