- Participants reminded of their responsibility in harnessing the power of AI for the betterment of humanity.
- Minister emphasised the need for inclusive participation in shaping the trajectory of AI development.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy recently organised a workshop that would co-create a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy that will leverage the Human-Centred Design (HCD) approach to formulating a strategy that focuses on the needs of Nigeria and the world.
Digital TimesNG learnt that the 4-day stakeholders’ strategy workshop with the theme “Developing the High-Level Strategy and Implementation Plan for a National AI Strategy in Nigeria,” had in attendance, key industry players from the private sector, public and global experts who brainstormed on the transformative potential of AI in reshaping societies worldwide.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr ‘Bosun Tijani reminded participants of their collective responsibility in harnessing the power of AI for the betterment of humanity and urged them to embrace a future where connectivity and innovation serve as catalysts for national and global development.
While highlighting the profound impact of digital technology on human interactions and societal norms, he emphasised the need for inclusive participation in shaping the trajectory of AI development.
“Digital technologies are also quite transformational because of their scope. Not only do they connect, but they allow us to transform nearly every aspect of our lives as humans,” he added.
The Minister emphasised that inclusive dialogue and cooperation are essential elements in shaping a future where AI serves the collective good, and called for unity among the participants to embrace conflicting views that could emanate from brainstorming at the workshop.
“I’m challenging each one of us that will participate in this workshop not to be too focused on strategies in building AI that is limited to Nigeria or Africa but to the world.”
“Let us show leadership globally so that the world could be converging and not diverging when we talk AI because these technology tools and products that will be built from this workshop can be used across borders,” he noted.
In his remark, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo stated that AI has the potential to transform Nigeria’s economy in different sectors from enhancing healthcare to increasing productivity in agriculture and government operational efficiency as well as increasing educational development.
“As we gather here, we are not just proud of this strategy for Nigeria, we are laying the foundation for the future where AI is going to be an integral part of all aspects of Nigerians’ lives.”
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa, emphasised the significance of leveraging AI as a technological tool and as a catalyst for broader societal change.
The DG underscored the imperative of harnessing the transformative potential of AI for the betterment of Nigerian society with emphasis on not only developing a strategy for AI but also developing a strategy with AI.
“Our vision for this strategy is clear. It is to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence to derive values from it while harnessing its potential and avoiding its errors,” he noted.
While stating that technology is like a double-edged sword with its promises and pitfalls, Inuwa said that the uniqueness of the workshop is not only to discuss but to actively share ideas through cognitive processes.
“This approach is fundamental because it will help us to use our diverse insights and expertise in creating a strategy that will be inclusive as well as reflecting our national consensus,” he averred.
The NITDA DG asserted that the strategy would help in making significant advancements toward achieving Mr President’s economic transformation in priority areas of national security, boosting agriculture to achieve food security, increasing the nation’s GDP, unlocking energy and transportation potentials as well as improving the healthcare sector among many others.
“Our success depends on our ability to work together across government, academia, industry and civil society in bringing our unique perspectives to this strategy which will help us craft not just an innovative strategy but a practicable and implementable strategy that will lay a foundation for a prosperous nation for Nigerians,” he concluded.
The highlight of the workshop was the breakout sessions with industry and global experts sharing insights on contextualising Artificial Intelligence strategy, setting directional beacons for Nigeria’s AI, and developing a national vision and goal-setting for Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria.
At the end of the workshop, participants who were grouped into syndicates gave presentations on various strategic initiatives, roadmap development and thematic visioning needed for the development of a robust Artificial Intelligence Strategy document.
While giving his vote of thanks, Dr Tijani thanked NITDA, Nigerian Communications Commission, Galaxy Backbone, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Data Science Nigeria, Microsoft, Google, Meta, the academia and a host of other public and private organisations for their invaluable contribution to the success of the workshop.
