Nigeria's AI Horizon: Bridging Heritage with Digital Strategy

Nigeria, poised at the cusp of a transformative era, is set to create its National Artificial Intelligence strategy. This visionary strategy represents a pivotal milestone in Nigeria’s quest to harness the immense potential of AI for sustainable development, innovation, heightened national productivity, and the overall welfare of its citizens. With the International Finance Corporation’s projection that strategic AI adoption could increase Africa’s GDP up to $234 billion by 2030 [1], it makes sense to consider how Nigeria could establish itself as an AI leader in the African continent. Rooted in Nigeria’s unique cultural heritage and driven by its digital strategy, the endeavor is set to propel the nation into the vanguard of AI adoption in Africa. As such, the Nigerian government, in the person of Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, is inviting top Nigeria-descent experts from around the world to collaborate on the creation of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. [2]

With a resolute commitment to carving a distinctive place for itself in the AI landscape, Nigeria emerges as a beacon of AI progress on the African continent. Nigeria is already renowned for its fast-growing tech startup ecosystem, since attracting a quarter of the $1.3 billion funding to tech startups in Africa in 2021 [3]. At the forefront of this remarkable journey is the establishment of the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR), a pioneering institution that underscores Nigeria’s determination to lead in AI advancement in Africa. Moreover, Nigeria has government entities dedicated to nurturing a knowledge-based economy and advancing research and development in AI technology, further cementing its status as a formidable player in the global AI arena.

Notably, Nigeria’s AI ecosystem, while still recent, is thriving with a vibrant community of private actors, businesses, and startups actively engaged in the deployment, development, and utilization of artificial intelligence systems. This robust ecosystem testifies to the nation’s commitment to bringing AI’s transformative potential across a variety of sectors.

As Nigeria approaches the formulation of its National AI policy, it makes no doubt this policy will be committed to upholding the national democratic values and constitutional principles. The policy is envisioned not only to serve as a catalyst for socio economic progress in Nigeria, but also as a guardian of citizen’s rights. Grounded in principles of algorithmic accountability, data protection, and the explainability of machine learning models, the AI policy is designed to safeguard fundamental human rights, including the rights to privacy, non-discrimination, and the preservation of the dignity of all Nigerians.

But another aspect of the first National AI strategy is also to align Nigeria harmoniously with international norms and standards that champion equality, inclusion, diversity, safety, fairness, transparency, etc. It acts as a testament to Nigeria’s dedication to creating an AI-powered future that respects and uplifts its citizens while preserving its rich cultural heritage in a global environment.

This roadmap delves into Nigeria’s ambitious artificial intelligence journey, exploring its vision, mission, strategic objectives, challenges, and key initiatives. Below, we will also analyze the partnerships, monitoring mechanisms, funding strategies, and potential risks that accompany this remarkable undertaking, explaining how Nigeria can stand tall as a beacon of AI progress rooted in its cultural heritage and driven by a robust digital strategy.

Key Initiatives for AI in Nigeria

Nigeria’s journey towards AI excellence needs to be anchored in a well-structured framework compromising its 6 strategic pillars. These pillars not only reflect the nation’s commitment to embracing the transformative potential of AI but also its dedication to preserving the Nigerian cultural heritage as part of the digital strategy.

Education and Training

Building a solid foundation of AI talent is essential. Without skilled professionals and researchers, artificial intelligence and machine learning initiatives will face challenges. Investing in education will ensure a steady stream of talent to drive AI innovations and applications.

National AI curriculum

The Nigerian government has already shared a directive to integrate artificial intelligence into the basic education curriculum. Nigeria’s recognition that a robust educational foundation is key to realizing its AI ambition can act as a game-changer. To this end, the country is actively developing a standardized AI curriculum, designed to equip students with the essential knowledge and skills required to navigate the AI landscape effectively. [4]

AI scholarships

As part of its commitment to nurturing AI talent, Nigeria is introducing AI scholarships for dedicated research and studies. These scholarships are designed to attract top-tier Nigerian talent but also ensure that financial constraints do not hinder the pursuit of AI excellence.

Youth AI Programs

Engaging the youth is central to Nigeria’s AI strategy. AI boot camps, hackathons, and workshops are being organized to introduce young minds to the world of AI. National initiatives are already pouring with the DSN AI bootcamp [5] for teens between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. The NCAIR [6] is also developing frequent digital skills and AI learning training programs, encouraging young people to gain better knowledge as part of the NITDA’s project of training one million developers in Nigeria. Training involves learning programming skills for machine learning and artificial intelligence.

International support is also available from reputable organizations such as Google, which has revealed its plan to educate youth and 20,000 Nigerian women to digital competencies as part of the “Grow with Google in Africa” initiative [7]. The curriculum includes AI and data analytics.

Collaborative Learning

Nigeria recognizes the value of collaboration between academia and industry in fostering real-world AI training. The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy is actively fostering partnerships and collaboration between educational institutions and industry players, such as Google and IBM, to create a dynamic ecosystem for AI education.

As part of introducing robotics and artificial intelligence into the basic curriculum, colleges have been looking at presenting innovative designs that reflect the current trends and needs in the world of technology. As the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education explains, the government would be ready to support innovations that respond to real-world needs, such as taking orders in restaurants via AI. [8]

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is the backbone of any AI ecosystem. Reliable data centers, high-speed internet connectivity, and access to AI tools and/or platforms are prerequisites for AI research, development, and deployment.

Nigeria’s digital infrastructure is, unfortunately, below capacity compared to its digital needs. As such, the digital strategy must first focus on meeting infrastructure requirements for the successful delivery of services and applications.

Data Centers

Nigeria needs to expand its data center strategy to compete against global big-tech organizations. There are currently 11 data centers in Nigeria. Yet, alarmingly, 70% of governments’ MDA still choose to host their data in the USA, UK, Israel, and many more. By 2024, stakeholders expect local data centers to be holding 30% more local data. The bottom line: if Nigeria wants to establish itself as an AI beacon in Africa, the creation of additional data center infrastructure is imperative.

Digital Connectivity

However, while data centers are investing in growing their capacity, local entrepreneurs must also understand the importance of the Local Cloud for their data. However, the Local Cloud remains a second choice for many entrepreneurs in Nigeria. With a national internet penetration of 55.4% of the total population. For perspective, as of early 2023, 44.6% of the population, approximately 98.7 million individuals, remain offline. [9]

Access to high-speed internet is pivotal for AI advancements. As such, the National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is central to implementing the backbone of Nigeria’s digital strategy. Initiatives, such as the National Broadband Plan and the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, are dedicated to enhancing connectivity through satellite technology. [10]

AI Toolkits and Platforms

A crucial aspect of democratizing AI development is through liberal access to open-source tools and platforms that enable Nigerian AI developers to harness the power of AI efficiently. There are already numerous global platforms, including H2O Open Source and OpenText Magellan.

There is no doubt that Nigeria could also place the country on the AI map by launching its own open-source AI tool in the future. Yet, for now, the priority remains on leveling up as many professionals and students as possible to AI and machine learning programming through existing tools.

Research and Development

Homegrown R&D will ensure that AI solutions are tailored to Nigeria’s unique challenges and opportunities. By focusing on R&D, Nigeria can also position itself as a leader in artificial intelligence and machine learning innovation within the African continent.

Centers of Excellence

Nigeria’s digital strategy for expansion needs to include the guidance and support of a center of excellence for artificial intelligence. The AICE, based in Kenya, establishes itself as a world class center dedicated to heading the AI tech revolution in Africa. Alongside the AICE, Nigeria can encourage AI rollouts to train AI engineers and further enable the digitization of the sector. AICE has already a history of forging helpful partnerships with organizations to develop solutions, methodologies and best practices that can be beneficial for the overall training outcome. [11]

AI Challenge

What better way to harness local talent and address unique challenges than by organizing local competitions? It is under this pretense that organizations such as the Africa IoT & AI challenge [12] can help uncover the AI and machine learning talent of tomorrow. The challenging competition is part of a training system that also drives the digital movement further across Africa. Nigeria counted among one of the first participant countries since the launch of the challenge.

The Africa IoT & AI Challenge’s mission is to identify tech startups that are investment-ready in Africa. From the perspective of individual entrepreneurs in Nigeria, it makes complete sense to join the competition. At a national level, however, the need for a local, standardized AI and machine learning challenge contest that can focus solely on Nigerian startups is clear.

AI Patent Assistance

Nigeria rightly recognizes the importance of protecting AI innovations, fostering a culture of innovation and protection of intellectual property. AI technologies can be protected as patents but the question of who should hold the patent remains open. In the Nigeria’s Patent and Designs Act (PDA), the patent holder is “the person who, whether or not he is the true inventor, is the first to file, or validly to claim a foreign priority for, a patent application in respect of the invention.” [13] While the person who holds and claims the patent must be a real human being, there is no doubt, as exposed by Desmond Osaretin Oriakhogba with the African DABUS hypothesis, that AI technology is still evolving and that its evolution will require the Nigerian patent and copyright system to adapt. [14]

Governance and Ethics

Ethical considerations are central to AI development. Strong governance and ethics frameworks ensure responsible adoption for artificial intelligence and help build trust with stakeholders.

AI Ethics Board

An AI system does what it is tasked to do with no consideration for ethics. In the words of O’Brian, ethics is “doing the right thing at the intersection of technology innovation and accepted social values”. Ethics needs to be at the core of AI and machine learning innovation, which is where Nigerian organizations need a standardized global regulatory model to guide their AI endeavors.

The African Commission of Human and People’s Rights adopted a resolution to consider African norms, ethics, values, and communitarian methods in the development of and use of AI.[15] Existing frameworks on ethics and rights-respecting AI could be easily adapted to the Nigerian needs.

Nevertheless, it becomes crucial in the future of Nigeria to place AI Ethics courses as part of the AI curriculum. With almost 90% of African institutions not offering Ethics as part of their program, it’s time for Nigeria to fill the blanks.

Data Privacy Laws

Nigeria already has its own Data Protection Regulation, the NDPR (like the EU’s GDPR), which already provides a legal framework for digital data use and exchange with regard to data privacy. Furthermore, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) also introduced a set of guidelines for the management of personal data by public institutions. Building on these existing laws and on the work of the NITDA and the NCAIR, it appears essential to formulate national policies designed to regulate the application and use of AI in Nigeria.

AI Certification

How can you be assured that the AI technology in place can provide trustworthy, safe, and reliable information? The accuracy of AI remains an open question around the world.[16] The barriers to trustworthy and reliable AI are numerous, and they all highlight the importance of training the AI system before full release. Access to accurate data and designing tests to detect bias can help improve AI, along with essential governance and regulations. This must be part of Nigeria’ s AI digital strategy.

Economic Initiatives

Artificial intelligence has the potential to drive economic growth by fostering innovation and creating new industries. Nigeria can position itself as an AI solutions exporter and promote AI adoption in SMEs.

AI Export Strategy

Nigeria envisions positioning itself as a leader in AI solutions. The rapid development of the Nigerian Artificial Intelligence market, expected to reach US$ 877.7 million by the end of 2023 and US$ 2,960 million by 2030 [17], could open the door to exporting opportunities for the Nigerian economies. Nigeria could act as an AI facilitator to other African countries, driving AI and machine learning innovations to tangible problems on the African continent.

While AI adoption is still in its infancy in Nigeria, companies offering AI solutions can already reach out to global clients, such as :

●????? AirSmat for drone management

●????? Kudi AI for financial services

●????? Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria

●????? Data Science Nigeria

AI in SMEs

According to research, 90% of Nigerian businesses are aware of the advantages of AI [18] when it comes to improving efficiency, expanding operations, and remaining competitive. This would give the economic powerhouse the potential to explore innovative AI solutions that are fully tailored to the existing challenges of local businesses.

Moreover, Nigeria’s teeming youth population can also engage further in the new AI economy through dedicated training and upskilling initiatives designed to weaponize digital know-how. This could provide an answer to the high unemployment rate [19] while driving the fourth industrial revolution through AI-focused SMEs.

AI Investment Forums

Nigeria needs not only to participate in global AI investment forums but also to organize specialist forums that showcase its innovative solutions. Opportunities in the AI ecosystem are burgeoning to those who are visible to global investors and partners.?

Social Initiatives

AI can be a powerful tool for addressing societal challenges and improving life quality in

Nigeria. It can be a driving force to revolutionizing healthcare, agriculture, and governance.

AI for Healthcare

Nigeria understands the transformative potential of AI in healthcare. AI can be leveraged to provide healthcare services in environments with limited resources, such as mediated telehealth. Combined with digitized health records kept in a common health database, Nigeria could also manage risks of diseases or outbreaks more effectively.

AI for Agriculture

With smallholder farmers making up 80% of the Nigerian farming markets, AI could provide automated monitoring solutions for small farms. Using precision data to enhance crop production, pest prediction, farming budget and stock management, AI technology can help small farm holders become more efficient.

AI for Governance

As part of Nigeria’s commitment to transparency and efficiency in governance, AI automation can be a game-changer for public services, automating processes and making them more transparent. This can also benefit decision-making processes in governance, creating a positive impact for citizens.

Partnerships

To drive its digital strategy to the desired outcome, Nigeria needs to actively seek partnerships that will further support AI development.

Diaspora Network

The tech diaspora includes a vast number of professionals and academics in machine learning and AI. It is the opportunity for leaders, startups, and researchers to build bridges for knowledge exchange, mentorship, and investment opportunities.

The first and most obvious approach is to reach out to business diaspora networks.[20] This online social world can act as a secure educational platform for entrepreneurs and innovators alike, sharing their know-how and experiences. Members can seek an AI pod, or host one, to discuss their AI challenges or even explore common projects with different companies.

It is worth noting the Diaspora Network TV Channel, which actively features how Nigerians throughout the world contribute to global and national development. The artificial intelligence Nigerian network has already been the topic of a previous show. This is a fantastic opportunity to reach out to individual experts to share relevant knowledge and build a common understanding of AI and machine learning.

Diaspora Network

Yet, there is more to learn about AI, and Nigeria should not limit its exploration to Nigerian-born AI experts only.

Global AI Alliances

Joining global AI groups dedicated to artificial intelligence can help in many ways, not only discovering unique technologies but also gaining a better access to potential partnerships and industrial insights:

●????? AI Governance Alliance for the global design and release of transparent and inclusive AI systems

●????? Global AI Action Alliance addressing societal and industry challenges for trusted, transparent and inclusive AI systems

●????? GPAI , Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence

●????? UNIDO’s Global Alliance on AI for Industry and Manufacturing [21] et cetera

Private Sector Collaboration

Finally, there are evident opportunities for development that can be leveraged through the adoption of AI technologies in a variety of sectors. The Nigerian government can choose to take advantage of public-private partnerships to drive further innovative solutions. This could include collaborating with tech startups or finance institutions to drive the necessary digital transformations through the country. An example could be Google [22] supporting the Nigerian government’s objectives to train Nigerian youth in AI.

Digital Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation in AI technology is vital for gauging its effectiveness and impact. It ensures that AI initiatives in Nigeria continue to align with goals, while fostering accountability and allowing for adjustments. The need for accurate monitoring and evaluation is a fundamental practice in harnessing the full potential of artificial intelligence.

AI Impact Dashboard

A dedicated Ai impact dashboard can help track metrics and assess the AI’s influence across multiple sectors. As part of the research and development activities in Nigeria, it makes sense to establish a set of evaluation metrics to monitor the advances of AI and machine learning across different sectors. The National Information Technology Development Act [23] mandates the creation of a framework regarding IT practices, systems and activities in Nigeria. This can serve as a baseline to determine the best monitoring dashboard for artificial intelligence.

This will require the creation of a real-time impact dashboard to measure and quantify tangible outcomes of AI implementations. This can not only act as a powerful tool to measure AI efficacy but also a source of information for decision makers in Nigeria.

Annual AI Summit

To maintain the momentum of the digital strategy, it is imperative to convene a yearly summit, which will gather relevant government officials, AI professionals, academia, and industry leaders. This is the occasion to collectively assess the progress made, deliberate on challenges, and recalibrate the AI vision for Nigeria.

The event can facilitate transparent collaboration and exchange. But it also offers the opportunity to showcase upcoming innovations, share success stories, and collectively steer Nigeria towards a prominent position in the AI landscape.

Feedback Mechanisms

Ensuring the adaptability and responsiveness of the digital strategy means working with reliable feedback. This is where the creation of feedback channels can ensure the continuous flow of insights and opinions.

As part of the AI strategy, it becomes obvious that Nigeria needs a dedicated platform that can collect feedback on AI and machine learning initiatives, policies, and regulations. The platform can serve as a two-way communication channel, allowing professionals as well as the public to share their observations and concerns. This can firmly establish the feedback platform as an indispensable stepping stone for a positive societal impact, which will ensure AI can further support Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

Funding the AI Digital Strategy

To sustain and accelerate the progress of artificial intelligence in Nigeria, a multifaceted funding strategy is imperative.

National AI Fund

To ensure the continuity and robustness of AI initiatives, the establishing of a dedicated national AI fund is a crucial step. This fund will serve as a financial backbone, supporting research, development, and implementation of AI projects across various sectors. While the National AI strategy was a call for Nigerian AI experts all around the world, it is likely that their involvement in the project can help secure a reliable source of funding from financial borrowing.

Small companies and researchers can benefit from access to specific funding programs for national AI projects.

Crowdfunding for Impactful Projects

Exploring crowdfunding mechanisms for specific AI projects with substantial societal impact can be an innovative approach that will propel Nigeria’s AI scene forward. Crowdfunding platforms can not only engage the local public in funding private initiatives, but it can also be an appeal to international partners and supporters.

This collaborative funding model can democratize artificial intelligence investment and bring innovative projects to fruition for countless startups and organizations.

Encouraging Diaspora Investment

The Nigerian diaspora network can become an invaluable resource in the AI landscape. Indeed, the network can not only encourage partnership and exchange of knowledge, but it can also translate into exchange of funds to bolster the country’s AI ecosystem. Outreach programs, incentives, and partnerships can help tap into this pool of expertise and financial resources, contributing to Nigeria’s AI journey.

Risks and Challenges

While Nigeria’s digital strategy promises to usher in transformative change, several challenges must be addressed first to mitigate potential setbacks.

AI Literacy

Promoting widespread AI literacy is a critical imperative. Without a comprehensive understanding of Ai technologies, there is a risk of public fear and misinformation. Misconceptions about Ai can lead to resistance or the spread of unfounded concerns, especially in a society with a high unemployment rate.

As such, the strategy must include comprehensive education and awareness campaigns for Nigerians of all ages. Nigerians who are of working age can also benefit from upskilling to combat the idea that machines will replace workers. This will foster a more informed and supportive public opinion.

Cybersecurity

As AI systems become more integral to critical infrastructure, healthcare, finance, and governance, they also become attractive targets for cyberattacks. Therefore, enhancing national cybersecurity frameworks as Nigeria is on the verge of a digital revolution is of the utmost importance to safeguard AI assets. The digital strategy needs to prioritize digital security measures, including encryption, threat detection, and incident response protocols to ensure the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of AI systems and data.

Inclusion

There is a non-deniable risk that AI adoption may disproportionately benefit urban areas or elite segments of the Nigerian population, exacerbating existing disparities. To address this, the digital strategy should introduce policies and initiatives that promote inclusivity.

Inclusivity can take a variety of shapes and forms, from expanding access to AI education and resources in underserved areas to fostering innovation hubs outside of major cities. Similarly, an aspect of AI ethics rules could also review and favor AI-driven projects that prioritize social and economic equity. At this point, monitoring and reporting mechanisms should already be in place to identify inequalities and exclusion and address these challenges.

Areas to Prioritize in the Digital Strategy

As already identified, there are indispensable key initiatives that will both establish and drive Nigeria’s AI endeavors. Some of these initiatives can play a dual role, not only jumpstarting the AI efforts but also preventing many obstacles along the way: Education, infrastructure development, and research and development.

As a priority, focusing on AI education and training allows Nigeria to build a solid foundation for the development of AI talent. Ultimately, to become a leading AI figure in Africa and the rest of the world, Nigeria needs skilled professionals and researchers, which is where education investments are vital. Aside from the necessary development of an AI curriculum for tertiary institutions and AI scholarships for top students, there’s another interesting aspect to consider. Nigerian universities and colleges need to develop further their international partnerships with global AI institutions to further support their students through faculty training and exchange programs.

Nigerian infrastructure system needs to be up for the growing challenge of becoming an AI leader in Africa. From reliable data centers to high-speed internet connectivity, and access to relevant AI tools and platforms, infrastructure is the foundation of the AI ecosystem. Efforts to grow national data centers and optimize them for AI computations are already on the way. Now, the challenge for Nigeria is to make rapid connectivity progress through remote regions, through broadband or satellite technology, ensuring a more stable background. Lastly, with more and more open-source AI tools available, it might seem that AI engineers do not need financial support. But countless tools remain costly and inaccessible to startups and researchers, which is where financial and technical support can make a huge difference.

While there is a variety of research and development materials available on AI and machine learning, Nigeria could benefit from targeted R&D that focuses on the specific challenges and opportunities of the country. This can not only establish Nigeria as an AI thought leader on the African continent but also boost the pace of AI innovation. This is where location is primordial, for the establishment of centers of AI excellence, the launch of AI challenges, and public-private partnerships.

Nigeria’s AI Trump Cards

Nigeria can leverage several assets that will help make significant strides in the AI landscape.

Firstly, Nigeria boasts one of the youngest populations in the world. As such, it makes sense for the digital strategy to prioritize AI education and training programmed for young people. As young minds are more likely to be adaptable and tech-savvy, they can rapidly become a driving force for AI innovation through AI clubs, competitions, and hackathons.

Nigeria is a country rich in different cultures and languages, which can elevate AI research in natural language processing, cultural algorithms, and much more. Through the development of AI models for local languages, Nigeria can position itself as an AI defender of cultural heritage and inclusivity. This can also open specific markets for AI-driven services that are tailored to Nigeria’s diverse communities. Nigeria could also become a role-model for complex multi-community AI integration projects around the world, such as Belgium, Canada, South Africa, etc.

Agriculture is a major sector in Nigeria, but it is a sector that is driven by small farms. AI can not only manage labor effort but also put small farms in control through precision farming, pest control, and harvest predictions. The agriculture sector can prioritize AI projects that are designed to support agriculture, which can drive expert partnerships with professional groups and institutions.

Tech hubs such as Lagos and Abuja are appearing in Nigeria, recording a surge of fintech and other tech startups. Nigeria can take advantage of this emerging tech scene to build AI accelerators and incubators that support startups. This could translate into seed funding and tax incentives to local AI-driven solutions, hence further driving the Nigerian digital ambition.

The Nigerian diaspora includes many academics and professionals active in techs and more particularly AI. There is a huge opportunity in building relationships and partnerships with Nigerian experts from all around the world for knowledge sharing, investment opportunities, mentoring, and even strategic shared projects and research as part of tech summits.

Digitization remains a slow process in Nigeria. However, once the digital strategy begins to enable and facilitate data collection and analysis, countless sectors could benefit from AI services. Healthcare, commerce, transportation, and many more sectors could grow their influence through AI innovation, if they are compliant with data protection regulations. There is an untapped growth potential for Nigeria’s AI journey.

Accessing healthcare in Nigeria can be challenging for those who live in remote locations. The introduction of AI services and digitized data, such as telehealth, could be a game-changer, in terms of spreading healthcare services throughout the country. But this can also be a Nigerian health revolution, allowing the use of AI and data for health management, diagnostics best practices, and disease prediction.

Lastly, Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy. Establishing its position as the AI gateway to the African continent can open many new doors to global opportunities. This is the occasion for Nigerian AI experts to reach out to neighboring countries, offering AI training programs to other nations, and becoming a confident AI provider for the continent.

In conclusion, Nigeria’s AI journey is poised with transformative impact. With a holistic strategy blending tradition and innovation, Nigeria can leverage its diverse strengths and strategic partnerships. Ethical AI, data protection, and inclusive growth are central themes. The vision aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to cultural heritage and innovation. As the country strides confidently toward AI excellence, it can emerge as a beacon of innovation both in Africa and on the global stage.

References?

1 https://dig.watch/updates/nigerian-government-calls-on-researchers-to-collaborate-on-national-ai-strategy

2 https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/co-creating-national-artificial-intelligence-strategy-tijani/

3 https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/co-creating-national-artificial-intelligence-strategy-tijani/

4 https://von.gov.ng/nigerian-government-mandates-ai-integration-in-basic-education-curriculum/

5 https://www.datasciencenigeria.org/ai-for-kids-and-teens/

6 https://ncair.nitda.gov.ng/

7 https://www.techinafrica.com/google-empowers-nigerian-youth-with-ai-and-data-analytics-training-program/

8 https://von.gov.ng/nigerian-government-mandates-ai-integration-in-basic-education-curriculum/

9 https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-nigeria

10 https://www.telecomreviewafrica.com/en/articles/features/3667-nigeria-s-digital-revolution-empowering-a-nation-through-technology

11 https://guardian.ng/apo-press-releases/ada-labs-africa-and-ai-center-of-excellence-aice-lead-next-generation-of-artificial-intelligence-ai-innovation-in-africa-with-nvidia/

12 https://africaiotai.org/about_us

13 Section 2(1) of the Patent and Designs Act

14 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3807379

15 https://www.achpr.org/sessions/resolutions?id=504

16 https://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/artificial-intelligence-research/trustworthy-ai

17 https://www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/artificial-intelligence/nigeria#market-size

18 https://www.techinafrica.com/research-shows-that-90-of-nigerian-businesses-are-using-ai-to-increase-output/

19 https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/nigeria-population/

20 https://diasporafoundation.org/

21 https://www.unido.org/news/unido-launches-global-alliance-ai-industry-and-manufacturing-aim-global-world-ai-conference-2023

22 https://www.techloy.com/google-ai-data-analytics-training-nigeria/

23 https://nitda.gov.ng/regulations/