The report said major economies are rapidly investing in compute power, advanced chips and sovereign AI models, while many developing countries lack the infrastructure, skills and regulation required to compete. Without intervention, the UN warned that AI could reinforce existing global inequalities, concentrating technological and economic power among a few wealthy states.

The study urged countries to adopt policies that support local innovation, improve internet access, expand computing capacity and ensure equitable access to AI tools. It also called for stronger international cooperation to prevent AI-driven economic divides from becoming permanent.

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TECH DIGEST – GLOBAL watchdog, Amnesty International, on Sunday joined 70 other civil society groups, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), to demand an immediate end to the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria by the Federal Government.

In a statement put out by the coalition, the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) were also asked to pressure the Nigerian government to allow for free speech in the country. The statement reads in part:

“We, the undersigned civil society organisations are concerned about the repression and escalating crackdown on human rights by the Nigerian government, particularly the rights to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.

“We strongly condemn the arbitrary and unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria by the authorities and the resulting restrictions on the human rights of people, as well as the threat to prosecute anyone using Twitter in Nigeria.

“We also condemn the ‘directive’ issued by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for all broadcast stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts.”

The coalition noted that going by the ban on Twitter in Nigeria, as announced by the Ministry of Information and Culture and the subsequent directive to internet service providers in Nigeria to block access to Twitter, “we are concerned about an alarming backsliding on human rights across Nigeria as the Federal Government and state authorities continue to use the criminal justice system and repression to silence peaceful dissent, while failing to ensure accountability for violations of rights.

“The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

The coalition urged the international community to publicly condemn the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria and put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to reverse the decision.

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TECH DIGEST – The United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary General, Mrs Amina Muhammed, has pledged the support of the global body to the country’s digital economy sector while urging the federal government to invest in technology.

Mrs Amina Muhammed, was speaking during a courtesy call on the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy (FMOC&DE) in his office.

She noted that “Technology is the lifeline of all other sectors from education to medical and financial services, and a lot of what the economy will see in the coming years will be determined by what we do now, in terms of investments”.

She noted with deep satisfaction the proactive and result oriented leadership style of Dr Pantami which has resulted in the quantum leap recorded in the nation’s economy.

She praised the National Digital Economy Policy which she emphasised was incredibly important within the framework of the 2030 agenda on the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
“With the exemplary leadership we have in the sector, right now, the Nigerian government should really prioritise investments in the sector.

The United Nations really supports this sector and its leadership, to make sure that you are a big part of the success of Nigeria’s growth and development.

Technology is what will bring efficiency and connectivity in all aspects of life and especially in the green transitions”, the UN Deputy Secretary General said.

In his response Dr Pantami expressed his appreciation to President Muhammad Buhari for his efforts at diversifying the economy through various enabling policies and for making the sector a priority as the benefits are already manifesting.

He noted that the most recent figures published by the National Bureau of Statistics which puts the Digital Economy sector ahead of others with a 14.7% growth within the Q4 OF 2020 is a clear indication that the sector is indeed advancing.

This also indicates approximately 13% growth within the year under review.

The Minister expressed his gratitude to the United Nations for its support through its partnerships and collaborations with organisations under the global body and noted that more can be done in bridging the digital divide especially in the area of capacity building.

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