In a landmark move toward shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria, over 70 of the nation’s foremost AI leaders—spanning tech-driven companies, forward-thinking startups, enabling organizations, and professional associations—convened to mark the official launch of the AI Collective Ecosystem.
This bold initiative establishes a community of practice dedicated to driving inclusive innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development across Nigeria’s dynamic AI landscape.
The launch event was headlined by Dr. Bosun Tijani, the honourable minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, who served as Chief Host.
His participation emphasized the Nigerian government’s unwavering commitment to leveraging AI as a transformative driver for economic growth, digital resilience, and inclusive national progress.
Dr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, CEO of Data Science Nigeria—one of the implementing partners of the Nigeria AI Collective — during his opening speech outlined the Collective’s core focus areas, including research and development, sector-based innovation, policy influence, and global partnerships.
“The AI Collective will catalyze sectoral transformation by building networks that drive AI adoption across key industries,” he noted. “We invite industry stakeholders to step forward as sector champions across domains such as telecommunications, real estate, the creative economy, government, healthcare, agriculture, financial inclusion, and fintech.”
A major highlight of the event was the official launch of Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, a strategic roadmap designed to harness AI-driven productivity and economic expansion across diverse sectors.
In his keynote, Dr. Tijani emphasized the inclusive and globally recognized process that shaped the strategy:
“The National AI Strategy was developed through an open, collaborative process involving government, academia, and industry,” he said. “It reflects a distinctly Nigerian approach—drawing on the expertise of local and diaspora talents—to craft a forward-looking, locally relevant, and globally aligned framework for development.”
Professor Yinka David-West, Dean of Lagos Business School, further elaborated on the strategic pillars underpinning the National AI Strategy:
“This strategy is centered on technical excellence, talent development, and collaborative innovation,” she stated. “With 12 ambitious goals and 34 actionable initiatives, it is purposefully built to accelerate economic progress, foster social impact, and position Nigeria as a hub for AI excellence on the global stage.”
The event also witnessed the unveiling of three transformative initiatives aimed at operationalizing the AI Collective’s vision:
- Nigerian AI Collective Executive Series: A must-have 13-part bite-sized video series designed for business leaders and executives seeking to harness the power of AI to enhance productivity, drive industrial and sectoral growth, and foster broader socio-economic development.
Access the learning series here.
- Nigeria AI Collective Diaspora-Connect: A digital bridge for collaboration between local AI professionals and the global Nigerian AI diaspora.
- Nigerian AI Repository: A curated showcase of all artificial intelligence innovations and developments across Nigeria. This catalogue captures the full spectrum of AI advancement in the country — from documented innovation use cases and data collection initiatives to emerging tools and technologies supporting AI implementation. It also features notable events, news, and key milestones that highlight Nigeria’s growing footprint in the global AI ecosystem.
- Sectorial AI Networks: The official kickoff of focused industry networks to drive peer learning, policy dialogue, and scalable innovation.
This is more than the launch of a community, it marks the beginning of a national movement. The AI Collective is connecting Nigeria’s brightest minds, strategic partners, and policymakers into one unified force, guided by the shared belief that AI can solve real problems and build a future that reflects our collective aspirations.
A full highlight video of the event is now available on YouTube.
