FG, Google in talks to advance AI, digital innovation in Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has announced that Nigeria is in discussions with Google to establish a strategic partnership aimed at advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation in the country.

Tinubu, in a post on X on Wednesday, said during his visit to Paris, he held discussions with Sundar Pichai, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Google, where they explored partnership opportunities in five key areas.

The areas, according to the president, include enhancing scalable cloud infrastructure, equipping the workforce with future-ready skills, promoting AI innovation and research, driving cloud adoption, and “elevating Nigeria’s standing in the global tech landscape as a hub for innovation and AI transition”.

“It is worth noting that Nigeria already has some bright prospects in the AI space, including the likes of Awarri Technologies @awarritech, with whom the Federal Government is currently collaborating to build critical AI software infrastructure to meet the needs of the local market unique to our arts and culture, languages, and society, amongst others, which have mostly been put on the backburner by current existing models,” the post reads.

Tinubu said the initiative involves creating data capture platforms and a large language model (LLM) for Nigerian languages in partnership with the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR).

‘PARTNERSHIP WILL EMPOWER BUSINESSES’

Tinubu said the partnership conversation with Google aligns seamlessly with his administration’s ‘renewed hope agenda’, which emphasises economic diversification through industrialisation, digitisation, and innovation.

“This will empower businesses, create new opportunities, and establish Nigeria as a significant player in the global digital economy,” the president added.

He said the ministry of communications, innovation, and digital economy will oversee the initiative, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will lead its implementation.

“Nigeria is poised to take the lead in AI and technology—this is merely the start of an exciting journey!” he said.

Commenting on the possible partnership, Pichai said the meeting with Tinubu focused on AI’s potential in Nigeria and Google’s commitment to supporting innovation and skills development in the country.

“It was great meeting with President Tinubu @officialABAT. We talked about the immense potential of AI in Nigeria, and how we can partner to expand AI skills, enable innovation, and support Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem,” the Google chief said.

On October 31, 2024, the federal government secured N2.8 billion grant from Google to boost AI talent development in the country.