Tech and policy experts have urged the Federal Government to leverage Nigeria’s rising profile in the Artificial Intelligence space to create more jobs and boost the nation’s economy.
It was reported that Nigeria recently made an unprecedented leap in the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI), climbing 42 places to rank 1st in Africa and 38th globally.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Monday, the experts described the feat as a golden opportunity to solidify the nation’s status as the tech capital of the continent.
“Nigeria’s ascent is a clear indication that our policy frameworks are world-class.
“To move from the lower tiers of the index to become Africa’s premier ‘Bright Spot’ proves that the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is doing something right.
“The ministry has successfully designed a framework that balances rapid innovation with strict digital safety,” said Dr Chidi Nwosu.
He said the world now views Nigeria as a mature, secure, and legally predictable environment for advanced AI technology.
He further noted that the historic climb represented a massive shift from previous years, when a lack of unified digital policies left the tech landscape fragmented.
He said the game changer came through targeted state interventions, including the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) and the highly successful 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative.
“It was also achieved by rigorously implementing the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) and the General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID),” he said.
According to him, the country effectively built a digital shield around its citizens, earning spectacular scores in trust, safety, and human rights protections on the global index.
Prof. Amina Bello, a data governance scholar and venture capital advisor, pointed out that the ranking is the ultimate marketing tool to attract foreign direct investment.
She emphasised that remaining at the peak of African AI innovation required transitioning from world-class policy to aggressive economic execution.
“This ranking is our green light to the global market, but policy alone cannot power the algorithms of tomorrow,” she said.
She added that if Nigeria is to transform the success into a tech boom that directly feeds into the vision of a one-trillion-dollar economy, it should back its policies with physical digital infrastructure.
“To sustain this hard-earned top spot, experts have outlined a definitive roadmap strictly focused on AI development.
“First, there is an urgent need to scale up digital infrastructure by aggressively expanding localised data centres and establishing dedicated fibre-optic grids to power heavy AI computing.
“Secondly, as an analyst and tech expert, I urge the government to fund sovereign AI datasets.
“Building localised Large Language Models (LLMs) that understand indigenous languages like Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo will ensure Nigeria controls its own digital narrative rather than relying entirely on biased foreign systems,” she said.
She also called for strict, continued enforcement of data privacy laws and continuous expansion of the tech talent pipeline into rural areas.
“By actively funding the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and protecting local datasets from uncompensated extraction by multinational tech giants, Nigeria will maintain its number one spot in Africa.
“Nigeria will also comfortably position itself as a global superpower in the AI-driven Fourth Industrial Revolution,” she said.
