Nigeria Poised To Become A Global AI Powerhouse, Says Microsoft.
Nigeria is on the cusp of becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), according to Microsoft, with its vibrant tech ecosystem and youthful population driving the nation’s potential to transform from a consumer to a producer of cutting-edge AI technologies. The announcement, made by Abideen Yusuf, General Manager of Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, highlights the country’s proactive strategies and growing infrastructure as key catalysts for this ambitious trajectory.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Yusuf noted that AI could contribute over $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with Nigeria uniquely positioned to capitalise on this opportunity. The nation’s tech hub in Lagos, marked by rapid growth in startups and venture capital, exemplifies its capacity for innovation. Microsoft’s investments in Nigeria, including Africa’s first data centres and edge nodes, are enhancing network speeds and cloud access, critical for scaling AI applications across sectors like finance, agriculture, e-commerce, and healthcare.
The Nigerian government’s commitment to AI development is evident through initiatives such as the National AI Strategy, the Nigeria Artificial Intelligence Research Scheme (NAIRS), and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR). These programmes aim to foster innovation, drive economic growth, and promote social development. The recent launch of a Large Language Model (LLM) trained in five low-resource Nigerian languages and accented English further underscores efforts to ensure inclusive AI solutions tailored to local needs.
Microsoft has bolstered these efforts with a $1 million AI Skilling Initiative, announced at the Microsoft AI Tour in Lagos, aiming to train one million Nigerians by 2026 in collaboration with partners like Tech4Dev and Data Science Nigeria. This builds on earlier partnerships with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, which has already engaged four million Nigerians. Yusuf emphasised that public-private partnerships are vital for expanding digital ecosystems and addressing the skills gap, particularly as Nigeria is projected to contribute significantly to the global youth population by 2030.
Despite the optimism, challenges remain, including a shortage of skilled AI professionals and inadequate infrastructure. Yusuf stressed the need for reliable power and data centres to support widespread AI adoption. Microsoft’s white paper, “AI in Nigeria,” produced with PwC Nigeria and Lagos Business School, outlines a roadmap to overcome these hurdles, advocating for collaboration between government, academia, and the private sector to build a robust AI ecosystem.
The report highlights practical AI applications already making an impact, such as chatbots in Nigerian banks, AI-powered business coaching tools on e-commerce platforms like Bumpa, and agricultural services like Kitovu, which provides personalised crop analysis. With a projected 27.08% annual growth in Nigeria’s AI market from 2025 to 2030, the technology is expected to add $15 billion to the nation’s GDP by the decade’s end, positioning Nigeria as a formidable digital powerhouse in Africa and beyond.
