Nigeria Leads Africa’s AI Future, Says NITDA DG at GITEX 2025

Nigeria Leads Africa’s AI Future, Says NITDA DG at GITEX 2025

By Gloria Sarauniya Usman

ABUJA, NIGERIA October, 2025 -

Nigeria has reaffirmed its position as Africa’s emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) powerhouse, with the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, declaring the nation’s strategic commitment to responsible and inclusive AI adoption. Speaking during a Fireside Chat at the AI Stage of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2025 in Dubai, Inuwa said Nigeria’s AI journey is guided by a clear vision to harness the transformative power of AI for national development and global competitiveness.

He explained that Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy is anchored on five core principles — responsibility, ethics, inclusivity, sustainability, and collaboration — and structured around three key objectives and five strategic pillars. These include building foundational infrastructure, strengthening the ecosystem, accelerating adoption across critical sectors, promoting ethical AI use, and ensuring sound governance. “We are not just building systems; we are shaping a future that works for everyone,” he stated.

Highlighting the impact of AI across multiple sectors, Inuwa noted that the technology is already driving transformation in agriculture, healthcare, education, and finance. He added that government agencies are leveraging AI to improve public services, envisioning a future where citizens can obtain passports or business permits within minutes. “AI can help rebuild trust between government and citizens by making services smarter, faster, and more transparent,” he said.

Inuwa revealed that about 70% of Nigeria’s online population now uses generative AI tools — surpassing the global average of 48% — attributing this growth to Nigeria’s youthful population and government-backed digital literacy programmes. He cited the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, and the integration of digital literacy into formal education as key enablers of this success.

Unveiling Nigeria’s plan to build an indigenous Large Language Model (LLM) known as M-ATLAS, Inuwa said the project aims to reflect Nigeria’s linguistic diversity and eliminate cultural bias in AI. “If we rely solely on foreign AI models, they won’t understand our nuances. We want an AI that speaks our languages and understands our people,” he explained. He concluded that Africa’s leap into AI could surpass its mobile technology revolution, adding: “AI is not about replacing humans but amplifying human potential. It’s strategy first, technology second — and Nigeria is leading that charge.”