The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, has advocated for an artificial intelligence framework that enables Nigerians to use, develop, and shape the technology. Abdullahi made this call at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly during a high-level dialogue on technology, innovation, and social business. The session brought together prominent leaders from several countries to discuss the role of technology in development.
Abdullahi argued that the global AI conversation should move beyond access to technology towards representation and agency, particularly in developing economies. He emphasized that inclusive AI requires representation and access, and access must mean agency, not just consumption. Abdullahi illustrated this point with a Nigerian farmer who could use an AI-enabled agronomist to improve productivity and create economic value.
For Nigeria, the issue extends beyond the availability of AI tools to whether citizens can use the technology to improve productivity and create economic value. Abdullahi outlined four areas underpinning Nigeria's approach to an inclusive AI ecosystem: connectivity, skills, computing capacity, and the creation of locally relevant solutions. He pointed to Project BRIDGE as part of efforts to expand connectivity.
Initiatives such as Digital Literacy for All, 3 Million Technical Talent, and technical and vocational education programmes are intended to strengthen digital and technical skills. Building computing and cloud infrastructure is another component, alongside efforts to create conditions for entrepreneurs to develop technology businesses around local problems. The approach also extends to digital sovereignty.
Abdullahi framed sovereignty not as technological isolation but as the ability to ensure that AI systems can work with Nigerian data and understand local context while operating within the country's laws and reflecting its cultural values. At the same time, Nigeria remains open to international investment, technology partnerships, and access to global AI models.
Abdullahi urged global technology companies to deepen their involvement in Africa by investing in computing infrastructure, transferring knowledge, developing local talent, and supporting African datasets and languages. He also stressed the need to retain human accountability as AI becomes more involved in decisions affecting healthcare, livelihoods, rights, and public services.
Abdullahi challenged policymakers, technology companies, and innovators to consider who is represented in the intelligence being developed and who has the agency to influence it and create economic value from it. He concluded that the defining achievement of the AI age should be that we used that intelligence to unlock extraordinary human possibility, for everyone.
Key points
- - Kashifu Abdullahi advocates for an inclusive AI framework that enables Nigerians to develop and shape the technology. - The framework should prioritize representation, agency, and access to technology. - Nigeria's approach to an inclusive AI ecosystem includes initiatives such as connectivity expansion, digital literacy programmes, and building computing infrastructure.
