Nigeria is banking on artificial intelligence (AI) to power President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has said.
Tijani’s remarks come after he was named by TIME magazine among the 100 most influential figures in AI for 2025, alongside Tesla’s Elon Musk and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. The recognition, he said, validates Nigeria’s growing role in shaping the responsible and inclusive use of the technology.
“We got over 120 experts of Nigerian descent to co-create the long-term strategy for the responsible use and development of AI,” Tijani wrote in a LinkedIn post. “This recognition further validates our belief that Nigeria can stand as a global leader in the responsible and inclusive deployment of AI for increased productivity.”
The framework for Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target was endorsed by the National Economic Council last week, with technology set to play a central role. The government has already begun piloting AI applications in healthcare, agriculture, education and financial inclusion, supported by global partners such as Google and the Gates Foundation.
To further strengthen the ecosystem, Tijani announced the launch of the AI Collective—a community of researchers and practitioners backed by Luminate—and the AI Trust, a body of national leaders guiding long-term investment in the sector.
He also pointed to the ongoing “3 Million Technical Talent” programme, which is equipping Nigerians with AI and digital skills, with many graduates already deployed to digitise government services and build datasets for AI systems.
“Despite challenges with infrastructure, our commitment remains clear: to ensure AI not only drives innovation but also contributes to building a $1 trillion economy as envisioned by President Tinubu,” Tijani said.
