Nigeria Partners Google to Harness AI for Digital Economic Growth

Nigeria is exploring a strategic partnership with Google to advance artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation in the country.

President Bola Tinubu disclosed this development via his official X handle on Wednesday, noting that he held discussions with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in Paris, where they explored partnership opportunities in five key areas.

According to Tinubu, the partnership will focus on enhancing scalable cloud infrastructure, equipping the workforce with future-ready skills, promoting AI innovation and research, driving cloud adoption, and elevating Nigeria’s standing in the global tech landscape.

“This will empower businesses, create new opportunities, and establish Nigeria as a significant player in the global digital economy,” Tinubu said.

The initiative involves creating data capture platforms and a large language model (LLM) for Nigerian languages in partnership with the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR).

The Nigerian leader said the country already has some bright prospects in the AI space, including Awarri Technologies, with whom the Federal Government is collaborating to build critical AI software infrastructure.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressed his company’s commitment to supporting innovation and skills development in Nigeria.

“It was great meeting with President Tinubu. We talked about the immense potential of AI in Nigeria, and how we can partner to expand AI skills, enable innovation, and support Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem,” Pichai said.

The Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy will oversee the initiative, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will lead its implementation.