The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called on African countries to work together in developing shared artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure as the continent prepares for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Speaking at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Nigeria 2025 in Abuja, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, warned that failure to adopt AI swiftly could leave Africa behind, just as it was in previous industrial revolutions. He stressed that while AI is set to transform economies globally, countries that delay adoption may face severe setbacks.
Inuwa cited research indicating that automation has the potential to increase global economic growth by 20 percent and could double the world economy within five years. To position Africa for this transformation, he outlined four areas of priority: harnessing Africa’s youthful population through digital skills training programmes such as Nigeria’s 3 Million Technical Talent initiative, expanding connectivity and data centre infrastructure, building strong policy and legal frameworks for AI governance, and nurturing an ecosystem that supports start-ups and research.
He emphasized the need for local large language models to ensure African culture, values, and realities are reflected in global AI systems. According to him, Africa’s strength lies not only in its demographics but also in its ability to pool resources and create AI solutions tailored to the continent’s unique challenges.
Inuwa’s position aligns with the call of the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, who urged African nations to see AI as a strategic tool for boosting productivity in agriculture, finance, logistics, education, and other sectors. Tijani outlined a four-point agenda, stressing sovereignty, skill development, localized datasets, and infrastructure investment as critical to Africa’s AI growth.
At the close of the summit, Executive Vice President of the Dubai World Trade Centre, Trixie LohMirmand, reaffirmed DWTC’s commitment to Africa’s digital journey, noting that Nigeria’s population growth and innovation potential make it a vital player in the global AI economy.
