Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani has called for collective action amongst stakeholders in harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven solutions on the African Continent.
The Minister disclosed this when he delivered a keynote address at the GITEX Nigeria Government Leadership and AI Summit in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Dr. Tijani called for collective action, clean energy-driven infrastructure, and meaningful connectivity to ensure Africa does not just participate in the AI revolution, but shapes it on its own terms.
According to him “Africa must not treat AI as an afterthought. It must be at the centre of our struggle as African leaders.
“Every African country must be given the opportunity to truly understand and explore how AI can drive its own productivity. Because productivity and competitiveness in Ghana is not the same as competitiveness in Nigeria. Our business in Togo or in Benin Republic is not the same as competitiveness in South Africa.”
“As leaders, we must urgently collaborate on medium and long-term infrastructure plans that bring down the cost and unlock participation for everyone. Connectivity should not just be something that we provide, but we should strive for meaningful and affordable connectivity. Colleagues and friends, the decisions that we make today will shape how Africa participates in this AI-driven world,” he added.
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The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA Kashifu Inuwa in his welcome address called for unity in Africa’s AI journey.
Inuwa emphasised the need for shared infrastructure, locally built algorithms that reflect African values, and strong policies to position the continent as an active player in the AI revolution.
He said; “Unlike previous industrial revolutions where Africa was negatively impacted from those revolutions, we cannot afford to lose out this time around because if we lose out it is not going to be like before.
“Because this is a revolution that will lead to exponential growth, anybody who is left behind will never benefit from it. So in the spirit of unity, collective interest and shared aspiration, we invite you all.
“All African countries, all players, the private sector players, the government, academia to work together on how we can build a shared infrastructure for Africa, to be part of the fourth industrial revolution and also benefit from AI transformation.’’
Similarly, Ms. Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President of Dubai World Trade Centre and CEO of KAOUN International underscored the power of collaboration between Nigeria and global partners in driving innovation, attracting investment, and positioning Africa at the forefront of the digital economy.
Mrs LohMirmand said; “I want to be very clear that for GITEX Nigeria to thrive there needs to be a very strong partnership within yourselves, the public and private sector, the landscape is evolving at such a mysterious pace.
“This event provides a global perspective and the emerging networks of partnerships and technologies and the global benchmarking that the companies, the SMEs and the startups and the entrepreneur founders will need.”
“We want Nigeria not to be an outlier or on the fringe, we want Nigeria to be having a firm seat at that global table in the new digital AI economy” she added.
GITEX Nigeria continues in Lagos from 3rd to 4th September 2025where the State will host the Global Future Economy Summit, a Startup Festival, and a proposed Lagos Innovation Day.
The event is expected to serve as a major milestone in showcasing Nigeria’s readiness to lead Africa’s digital transformation, while providing a platform for startups, innovators, and investors to connect and thrive.