By Muhammad Sal
Nigeria stands on the brink of becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), if it builds the right infrastructure and develops local talent, according to Mr. Abideen Yusuf, General Manager of Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana.
Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday, Yusuf highlighted Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem and youthful population as key strengths that could transform the country from a consumer of AI technology to a producer of world-class AI innovations.
Yusuf emphasized AI’s massive potential for economic growth, with estimates projecting a $15 trillion impact on the global economy by 2030. He said the real economic benefits for Nigeria will come from making AI technology more accessible nationwide through investments in reliable power, data centres, and cloud infrastructure. Microsoft has already made progress in this area by building Africa’s first Microsoft data centres and edge nodes within Nigeria, enabling faster network speeds and better access to cloud services critical for scaling AI applications.
Lagos, he noted, is already proving Nigeria’s innovation capabilities as a booming tech hub attracting startups and venture capital. But national progress depends on expanding digital infrastructure beyond the city and fostering strong public-private partnerships, including collaborations between government bodies and tech firms like Microsoft to unlock local data’s full potential.
Equally important is developing a skilled workforce that can deploy and maintain AI technologies. With Africa expected to have 42% of the global youth population by 2030, Yusuf sees a demographic advantage for Nigeria’s digital transformation. He praised initiatives such as the Federal Ministry of Communications’ 3 Million Technical Talent program, which aims to create 2 million digital jobs, and Microsoft’s partnership with the Wootlab Foundation to deliver AI training.
The Nigerian government has aligned with this vision by drafting a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and forming the AI Collective, a group tasked with advancing AI research, projects, and inclusive policymaking. Recently, Nigeria also launched its own Large Language Model (LLM), tailored to low-resource languages and accented English, to boost AI development that better represents local languages and contexts.
“With the right infrastructure and skilled people, Nigeria can become a global leader in AI innovation and use this technology to drive inclusive economic growth.” – Yusuf
This push places Nigeria among the African countries racing to lead the AI frontier, marrying technology with local talent and infrastructure to harness AI’s promise for the continent’s future.
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