INTRO 

The Honourable Minister attended the Nigerian AI Collective Design Workshop, organised by partner organisations to design the framework that will guide the operations of the Nigerian AI Collective. In his address, he spotlighted the need for Nigeria to develop the infrastructure and human capital necessary to leapfrog and lead in the deployment of future technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the benefit of the people.

KEY FOCUS

Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Capital: As we work towards realising our vision of building a future where our country fully harnesses the power of AI to drive economic prosperity, Dr. Tijani delivered the opening remarks at a gathering made up of key organisations that will drive the operation of the Nigerian AI Collective.

Their work, and that of many others who form the Collective, will shape Nigeria’s approach to AI, inspire other efforts across the continent, and add to global discussions on the governance and guardrails needed for this potentially transformative technology. 

TIMELINE

Monday:

• The Honourable Minister’s first engagement for the week was to deliver the opening address at the Nigerian AI Collective Design Workshop at Abuja Continental Hotel. The workshop was organised to design the framework that will guide the operation of the Nigerian AI Collective, a community of practice bringing together expertise from civil society, academic, tech, and other sectors working to advance AI in Nigeria and ensure it is safe, and is used ethically for the good of all in the society. The consortium which will manage the Nigerian AI Collective include the Lagos Business School (Pan-Atlantic University), Data Science Nigeria (DSN), Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID), and the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).

Tuesday:

• On Tuesday, he met with his internal team to receive project updates, assess status, and identify next steps on a number of initiatives as the team delivers on set goals for the Ministry.
• After this, he met with Tola Adekunle-Johnson, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation & MSMEs, to discuss areas of collaboration towards achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
• His next engagement was with Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, DG, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), to continue ongoing discussions on issues as it relates to fostering the growth and development of the technology sector in Nigeria.
• Later in the day Dr. Tijani received a courtesy visit from Sen. Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security. Both parties discussed the diverse initiatives of government centred around growing Nigeria’s digital economy, which also includes the National Digital Economy and e- Governance Bill which is before the National Assembly. 

Wednesday:

• The Honourable Minister’s day started with a meeting with Dr. Bayo Adekanmbi, Founder/CEO, Data Science Nigeria (DSN), one of the members of the consortium managing the Nigerian AI Collective, a community of practice bringing together expertise from civil society, academic, tech, and many other sectors working together to advance AI in Nigeria.