At the heart of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2025 in Dubai, Nigeria’s digital ambition took centre stage as the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for development, innovation, and global competitiveness.
During a Fireside Chat at the AI Stage, Inuwa shared insights into Nigeria’s evolving AI journey, describing it as both deliberate and strategic, a roadmap defined by purpose and powered by people. “Our vision is clear,” he said. “We are harnessing the transformative power of AI through responsible, ethical, and inclusive innovation to drive sustainable development through collaboration.”
According to Inuwa, Nigeria’s National AI Strategy rests on five guiding principles, responsibility, ethics, inclusivity, sustainability, and collaboration.
“These aren’t just words; they are our compass,” he explained. “We are not merely building systems, we are shaping a future that works for everyone.”
The framework, he noted, is anchored on three national objectives and five strategic pillars, each focused on building infrastructure, strengthening ecosystems, accelerating adoption across key sectors, promoting ethical AI, and ensuring strong governance.
From agriculture to healthcare, education to finance, AI is quietly transforming the way Nigerians live and work.
Inuwa highlighted projects that use real-time data to help farmers make smarter decisions, AI-driven diagnostics bringing healthcare to rural communities, and digital learning tools embedding AI literacy into classrooms nationwide.“In finance, AI is detecting fraud, improving credit access, and deepening financial inclusion,” he added.
Beyond private-sector innovation, the NITDA DG revealed that the government is exploring how AI can reimagine public service delivery, envisioning a Nigeria where obtaining a passport or business permit could take minutes, not weeks.
“AI gives us the chance to rebuild trust between government and citizens,” he said. “It’s about creating systems that are faster, smarter, and more transparent.”
Nigeria is already outpacing global averages in AI adoption, with 70% of its online population using generative AI tools, compared to 48% globally. Inuwa attributed this to the country’s youthful, tech-savvy population and sustained government investment in digital literacy.
Flagship initiatives like Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL), which targets 95% national literacy by 2030 and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, one of the world’s largest upskilling projects, form the backbone of this vision.
He also unveiled plans to develop Nigeria’s first indigenous Large Language Model (LLM), known as M-ATLAS, a groundbreaking step toward ensuring local relevance in global AI systems. “Nigeria has over 500 languages and diverse dialects,” Inuwa said. “If we depend only on foreign AI models, they won’t truly understand us. M-ATLAS will reflect our culture, context, and complexity. We want an AI that doesn’t just translate words like ‘akwa,’ ‘ekaabo,’ or ‘sannu,’ but understands their meaning.”
Inuwa likened Africa’s AI evolution to its earlier leap in mobile technology, but this time, with homegrown innovation leading the way.
“The difference is that we’re not catching up; we’re creating the future,” he noted. “AI is not about replacing humans but amplifying human potential. It’s strategy first, technology second.”
He concluded with a powerful vision:“If we get this right, AI will help Nigeria achieve tenfold, even hundredfold, growth in productivity and innovation. That’s the future we’re building.”
