Google CEO Sundar Pichai met with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in Paris to discuss AI in Nigeria. The meeting focused on expanding AI skills, fostering innovation, and supporting Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. Pichai shared a picture of the meeting on X, highlighting AI’s immense potential in Nigeria.
Google’s Commitment to AI
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, described the discussion as highly productive. The government reaffirmed its commitment to the country, while Google pledged continued support for AI skills and innovation.
Last year, Google launched two major AI initiatives:
- N100 million AI Fund – Backed by Google, this fund supports Nigerian startups using AI to create innovative solutions.
- N2.8 billion AI Talent Development – A Google.org grant to Data Science Nigeria, aimed at upskilling youth and unemployed Nigerians in AI.
Nigeria’s AI Strategy and Recent Developments
The Nigerian government recently released the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, currently under review for adoption as a national policy. The strategy will guide AI development across sectors.
Additionally, Nigeria launched its own Large Language Model (LLM) to strengthen African language representation in AI datasets. This initiative will train AI models in five low-resource languages and accented English, ensuring inclusivity in AI advancements.
The Future of AI
With increasing investments and strategic initiatives, Nigeria is set for growth. Google’s involvement, coupled with the government’s AI policies, aims to position Nigeria as a leader in AI innovation across Africa.