Overview
The Draft National AI Strategy (NAIS) is a comprehensive framework developed by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) to position Nigeria as a global leader in AI-driven innovation. The strategy is designed to harness AI’s transformative power responsibly, ensuring economic growth, social development, and technological leadership.
Vision & Strategic Goals
The strategy aims “to be a global leader in harnessing the transformative power of AI through responsible, ethical, and inclusive innovation, fostering sustainable development through collaborative efforts.”
To achieve this, the document sets three key objectives:
- Economic Growth & Competitiveness (boost productivity, create new industries, attract foreign investment)
- Social Development & Inclusion (improve access to essential services, tackle social challenges, empower citizens)
- Technological Advancement & Leadership (develop indigenous AI expertise, establish governance frameworks, lead globally in AI innovation)
Updates
- Multi-Stakeholder Strategy Formulation: In April 2024, the government convened a National AI Strategy Workshop in Abuja that brought together about 120 experts – Nigerian AI researchers (including those in the diaspora), tech companies (like Google, Meta, Microsoft), civil society groups, and others – to co-create the strategy. The immediate outcome was a draft strategy document outlining strategic imperatives, policies, investment needs, and a roadmap to “catalyse Nigeria into an AI-driven economy.
- AI Startup Fund (₦100m with Google): After the Strategy was released the government moved to support AI innovation in the private sector. n September 2024, Minister Bosun Tijani announced the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Startup Fund – a ₦100 million (~$130,000 USD) initiative in partnership with Google, managed through NITDA’s National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR)
- Nigeria AI Collective and $1.5M Funding: By October 2024, Nigeria ramped up its efforts with a new initiative called the Nigeria AI Collective. Launched on October 7, 2024 and backed by international partners, this initiative came with $1.5 million (₦2.5 billion) in support from the Luminate foundation and others. The AI Collective is designed to unite experts, stakeholders and resources to advance Nigeria’s AI ecosystem in a coordinated way – focusing on knowledge exchange, research collaboration, and ensuring AI development in Nigeria adheres to ethical and inclusive principles
- Education and Talent Development: In line with the strategy’s emphasis on skills, the government has taken steps to integrate AI into education and train talent. The Federal Ministry of Education, for example, has introduced coding, robotics, and basic AI concepts into school curricula – a directive to integrate robotics/AI at the primary education level was noted as a significant policy step in 2023/2024. This aims to build AI awareness from an early age. Furthermore, the ongoing 3MTT (Three Million Technical Talents) program has been aligning with NAIS goals by ramping up digital skills training for Nigerian youth (ages 16–35)
