Nigeria has become one of Africa’s biggest countries with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI). Its engineers are building local language models, universities are opening robotics labs, and global partners, from Google to the Gates Foundation, are investing in pilot projects.
But a new report by Column reveals that despite this surge of activity, there are weaknesses that affect much of Africa’s AI policy space: great vision, but little follow-through.
According to the State of AI Policy in Africa 2025 report, authored by Mo Shehu and Gideon Onunwa, Nigeria scores 18 out of 24 on the AI Governance Maturity Index, placing it in the continent’s second tier.
The country has innovation and global attention, but lacks a dedicated budget, enforceable law, or monitoring framework.
“The findings show a clear divide between ambition and execution,” the authors write.
Promise Without Policy Backbone
Nigeria’s draft National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024) rests on five pillars: infrastructure, ecosystem, adoption, responsible AI, and governance. Oversight sits with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (NCAIR).
The document outlines a commendable national vision but, as the report notes, “lacks explicit budget lines or projections, relying on external partners.”
In 2024, UNDP, UNESCO, Meta, Google, and Microsoft jointly provided $3.5 million in seed funding to jump-start implementation.
There is progress; the N-ATLAS model now supports Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo; the AI Scaling Hub, a Gates Foundation partnership, is expanding use in health, education, and agriculture.
Still, “the strategy also has no binding legislation; it remains a policy rather than law.”
It is this mixture of visible innovation and fragile governance that defines both Nigeria and the continent’s AI story.
A Continental Picture of Uneven Progress
Across 20 African countries, more than half have drafted or adopted national AI strategies. However, fewer than one in four have committed budgets, enforceable laws, or monitoring systems.
AI, the report argues, has become both a symbol of modernity and a test of governance capacity.
The AI Governance Maturity Index rates countries out of 24 points across four categories: policy design, implementation capacity, governance and accountability, and external engagement.
| Rank | Country | Score / 24 | Distinguishing Strength |
| 1 | Egypt | 20 | National AI Council; €1.8 bn data centre; $300 m semiconductor fund |
| 1 | Ethiopia | 20 | 1.13 bn Birr ($7.7 m) budget; AI-powered Smart Court |
| 3 | Kenya | 19 | $1.1 bn AI budget; broad sector coverage |
| 3 | Mauritius | 19 | Rs 25 m Public AI Programme; tax incentives |
| 3 | South Africa | 19 | R 98.5 m for AI research; global leadership |
| 6 | Senegal | 18 | $46 m costed plan |
| 6 | Nigeria | 18 | Active ecosystem, local models, no funding law |
| 6 | Zambia | 18 | K 8 m (US $335 k) budget; $10 m private AI investment |
| 9 | Ghana | 17 | 10-year roadmap; Google AI Centre |
| 10 | Rwanda | 16 | Host of Global AI Summit; strong institutions |
| 10 | Lesotho | 16 | Inclusive draft framework; ICT budget allocation |
| 10 | Algeria | 16 | $600 m venture studio for 1,000 start-ups |
| 13 | Côte d’Ivoire | 15 | 2030 AI roadmap; National AI Agency planned |
Below these leaders, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe remain in early drafting.
A further 34 countries, including Chad, Sierra Leone, and Eswatini, have no AI policy at all.
Follow the Money
Funding exposes the depth of the gap. Kenya’s $1.1 billion allocation dwarfs Zambia’s U.S. $335,000 budget by more than 300 times.
Ethiopia increased its national AI budget by 42% in 2025. Egypt, the regional heavyweight, continues to pull foreign capital through a €1.8 billion hyperscale data centre and a $300 million semiconductor investment.
Yet most countries depend on donors.
“Only a few governments have dedicated, multi-year AI budgets; most depend on donor support or general ICT allocations that are easily diverted,” the report cautions.
Where Law and Ethics Lag
Legal infrastructure is also far behind rhetoric. While 35 African nations now have data-protection statutes, almost none have AI-specific regulation.
Egypt’s framework remains voluntary; Ethiopia’s ethics guidelines are not binding; South Africa’s draft bill awaits ratification. Nigeria, the authors note, operates on policy intent rather than legal force.
The result is what Column calls “ethics without accountability,” a moral vocabulary without enforcement.
The Transparency Deficit
Few governments publish metrics or progress reports. Egypt stands out for tracking outcomes through measurable key performance indicators.
Elsewhere, “too many strategies are unpublished or inaccessible,” the report says, “reducing transparency and accountability.”
This opacity makes it hard for citizens, researchers, or investors to know whether AI spending yields tangible results.
Regional Contrasts
- North Africa (Egypt, Algeria): strong institutions, industrial investment.
- East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda): innovation and experimentation.
- West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire): numerous strategies, weak enforcement.
- Southern Africa (South Africa, Zambia, Lesotho): policy structure, modest budgets.
The data reveal a continent moving at different speeds toward the same uncertain finish line.
Why It is Important
AI is not only a technological issue but also a governance test. It could improve crop yields, detect disease, streamline justice systems, and expand financial inclusion.
However, as the authors warn, “Without strong governance, it can deepen inequality, embed bias, or be used for surveillance and censorship.”
With more than 60% of Africans under 25, the economic stakes are immense. Countries that craft and enforce sound AI policies will shape not just algorithms but their own development futures.
“Countries that shape the technology also shape the rules,” the report reminds readers.
From Paper to Proof
To bridge the gap between ambition and delivery, the authors urge African governments to:
- Legislate AI frameworks rather than rely on non-binding strategies.
- Fund multi-year national programmes.
- Establish independent bodies for ethics and accountability.
- Publish monitoring data for public scrutiny.
“Africa is not behind—it is early. The task now is to make ambition durable: to move from promise to proof.”
Nigeria as Mirror and Test Case
In many ways, Nigeria encapsulates Africa’s AI journey, a nation bursting with innovation, global partnerships, and youthful expertise, yet constrained by governance policy and finance.
Its N-ATLAS language model and AI Scaling Hub demonstrate what is possible when local capacity meets global collaboration. But without statutory backing or sustainable funding, such progress risks fading into headlines rather than history.
As the State of AI Policy in Africa 2025 makes clear, the next frontier will not be who drafts the most visionary strategy, but who brings measurable, lawful, and lasting impact.
