The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) development, with the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, delivered a virtual address at the InnovateAI Conference in Lagos.
During his presentation, Inuwa highlighted the National AI Strategy as a central framework guiding Nigeria’s ambition to evolve from a consumer of AI technologies into a builder and owner of indigenous AI systems capable of addressing local challenges.
He stressed the need for adaptive regulatory policies, ethical data governance, and investment in local AI infrastructure, noting that many global AI models are developed using datasets that do not adequately reflect African realities. According to him, this gap often results in biases against local languages, cultures, and demographic contexts.
The NITDA Director General emphasised that Nigeria must prioritise retraining AI systems with inclusive local datasets to ensure emerging technologies accurately represent national values and societal needs.
He also called for stronger collaboration with global technology companies and hyperscalers, while simultaneously deepening domestic capacity development and strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
Inuwa reiterated that Nigeria’s objective goes beyond technological advancement, stressing that AI innovation must support inclusive development, safeguard national interests, and accelerate the country’s broader digital transformation agenda under the National AI Strategy.
