Initiative overview
The strategy is organised around three overarching goals and five operational pillars. The three goals are economic growth and competitiveness (boosting productivity, creating AI-driven industries, and attracting foreign investment); social development and inclusion (improving access to healthcare, education, and financial services, and empowering citizens); and technological advancement and leadership (developing indigenous expertise, establishing ethical frameworks, and positioning Nigeria as a regional and global AI player).
The five pillars translate these goals into action: building foundational AI infrastructure including high-performance computing centres and clean energy-powered AI clusters; building a world-class AI ecosystem through partnerships, talent development, and innovation hubs; accelerating AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, education, finance, and public services; ensuring responsible and ethical AI through a dedicated AI Ethics Expert Group (AIEEG) and a national ethics assessment framework; and developing a robust governance framework, including an independent AI Governance Regulatory Body and a National AI Risk Management Framework covering economic, ethical, societal, and technical risks.
The strategy openly acknowledges Nigeria's structural challenges, including limited and unreliable infrastructure, low broadband penetration, constrained public R&D investment (approximately 0.2% of GDP against a global average of 2.2%), a shortage of skilled AI professionals, significant brain drain, and gaps in data quality and governance. At the same time, it builds on key strengths: Nigeria's large and youthful population (approximately 70% under 30), a thriving startup ecosystem, growing international recognition of Nigerian AI innovations, and foundational legislation such as the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. The strategy sets measurable targets, including equipping at least 70% of Nigeria's young workforce aged 16–35, including 50% women, with AI-related skills, and reducing unemployment by five percentage points. It was developed through a multi-stakeholder process comprising a four-day co-creation workshop in April 2024, followed by public feedback, expert review sessions, and online engagements through to January 2025.
Name of responsible organisation (in English)
Mechanisms to involve stakeholders in strategy design, implementation or monitoring
Is there a mechanism to monitor implementation?
Yes
Has this initiative been evaluated?
Not yet, but an evaluation is foreseen
Are evaluation results public?
No
