President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday held crucial discussions with Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, on advancing Nigeria’s role in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital innovation.
The meeting, which took place in Paris, France, explored potential partnerships aimed at positioning Nigeria as a global technology hub, according to a message President Tinubu shared on his verified X handle, @officialABAT.
Following the discussions, Tinubu described the engagement as a key step toward leveraging AI and digital technology for national development.
“We are exploring partnership opportunities with Google, which will focus on five key areas: enhancing scalable cloud infrastructure, equipping our workforce with essential skills for the future, promoting AI innovation and research, driving cloud adoption, and elevating Nigeria’s standing in the global tech landscape as a hub for innovation and AI transition,” Tinubu stated.
The President highlighted Nigeria’s emerging AI ecosystem, pointing to Awarri Technologies as a notable player in the sector.
He disclosed that the government is collaborating with Awarri to develop critical AI software infrastructure tailored to Nigeria’s unique arts, culture, and languages—areas that existing AI models often overlook.
“This includes data capture platforms and a large language model (LLM) for Nigerian languages in partnership with the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR),” Tinubu added.
The discussions with Google, according to the President, align with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes economic diversification through industrialization, digitization, and innovation.
He emphasized that the initiative would empower businesses, create new opportunities, and establish Nigeria as a major force in the global digital economy.
Tinubu further revealed that the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy will provide strategic oversight, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will lead the implementation of the Google partnership.
“Nigeria is poised to take the lead in AI and technology—this is merely the start of an exciting journey!” Tinubu declared.
