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By Chinenye Anuforo
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to create over 50,000 jobs in Nigera’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector by 2023.
The plan was unveiled by the new Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. Tijani Bosun while outlining his plan for the ministry, in a document tilted, ‘Accelerating our collective prosperity through technical efficiency: A strategic plan for the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy.
According to him, the Artificial Intelligence will usher in a new era of technological and economic transformation over the next 2 decades. “As an emerging economy, it is imperative that we formulate a far-reaching national strategy to harness the potential of AI in an inclusive and responsible manner. To that effect, we
are taking a unique approach to provide the expertise and perspectives needed to craft a forward-looking strategy.”
The Minister explained that the implementation of the strategy amongst other things is expected to elevate Nigeria as a top 10 location for AI model training and talents globally. “In addition, we will position Nigeria as a global leader in accelerating inclusivity in AI datase.
Tijani also explained that, in a rapidly evolving global technology landscape, innovation, entrepreneurship, and access to capital are critical components of a strong digital economy.
“The 4th pillar of our strategic blueprint provides a roadmap for Nigeria to harness the potential of these 3 pieces as catalysts for the transformation of our digital economy. This pillar is the driving force behind the creation of an environment that encourages innovation, supportsentrepreneurship and attracts the required capital to deliver on our ambitions.
In this pillar, we outline a set of initiatives that recognise the importance and
necessity of these 3 inputs innovation,
entrepreneurship and capital—for
delivering a vibrant and inclusive digital economy. This forward-looking approach keeps our innovation ecosystem ahead of
the curve and future-proofs our economy”
Continuing he also disclosed plans to equip three million Nigerians with tech skills over the next four years adding that, the Ministry will help startups raise their yearly funding rounds to $5bn by 2027, and improve access in rural areas by at least 40 per cent.
“Recognising the critical role of patient capital in the growth of startups, we are committed to
increasing the local availability of patient capital. Our intent is to create an environment for startups to raise the funding they require to
thrive locally and promote the domiciliation of startups within our nation”, he said.
