Nigeria must move from being a consumer of artificial intelligence technologies to becoming a creator of AI solutions to remain competitive in the global digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has said.
The call was made at the Bluechip Data and AI Summit held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, where the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, was represented by Dr Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the agency, Onumo stressed the need for stronger local capacity in building digital solutions and deepening investment in talent, innovation, and AI-driven development.
He illustrated the impact of artificial intelligence using the analogy of two farmers, one relying on intuition and the other using data and technology, to show how AI is transforming decision-making, productivity, and economic outcomes across sectors.
According to him, AI is already reshaping how people work and how organisations operate, creating new opportunities for efficiency and growth.
He outlined NITDA’s priorities, including talent development, infrastructure expansion, innovation support, and responsible AI adoption as key pillars of Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
“AI is a tool, not a problem. It has not come to take away jobs. It has come to support people, help them work more effectively, and deliver better results,” he said.
Onumo added that the agency is working toward ensuring that 70 per cent of Nigerians achieve digital literacy by 2027, noting that partnerships such as the collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) are central to achieving nationwide reach.
“We are partnering with NYSC because of its presence across the country. Through this collaboration, we are training digital champions who will help expand digital literacy and AI awareness nationwide,” he said.
He urged policymakers, youths, and entrepreneurs to shift from simply using imported technologies to actively building local solutions.
“We must move from consumers to creators. The greatest threat to Africa today is not that AI will surpass us. The greatest threat is that Africa will move too slowly,” he said.
“We must become creators of intelligence. We must invest in African talent, support African innovation, and develop African AI solutions that address our unique challenges.”
Onumo also called for stronger collaboration between the government, the private sector, investors, and academic institutions to build a sustainable AI ecosystem.
The summit also featured a fireside chat on AI investment and entrepreneurship, moderated by Bluechip Technologies Co-founder Olumide Soyombo, with participation from Kola Aina, Founding Partner at Ventures Platform Fund.
Aina said Africa presents strong investment opportunities across infrastructure, connectivity, data centres, and AI-powered applications, noting that these areas require sustained capital and development.
“I think there is a lot of opportunity at the infrastructure level. Compute, data centres, connectivity, and power are areas where significant investment is still needed,” he said.
Beyond infrastructure, he said the biggest gains will come from building AI-native companies and enabling existing businesses to use AI to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
“The greatest opportunity for existing companies is figuring out how to leverage AI to gain efficiency. And if you’re starting a company today, building that company to be AI-native gives you a significant advantage,” he said.
Aina added that Africa’s young population remains a key advantage in the global AI race.
“We may not build a trillion-dollar data centre in the next few years, but we have something many developed markets don’t have. We have talent. We have young people who can learn these technologies and participate in building the future,” he said.
He encouraged young Africans to take advantage of online learning platforms to build skills in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
“If I were 25 today with internet access, I would spend an enormous amount of time becoming an expert in AI and other frontier technologies. You don’t necessarily need to go abroad or earn another degree. You can learn these skills right here in Lagos,” he said.
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Addressing concerns about whether AI investments reflect a speculative bubble, Aina dismissed the idea, saying current developments are driven by real value creation.
“I don’t think we’re in a bubble. I think we’re entering a new horizon and a new inflexion point for the global economy,” he said.
“The difference between today and the dot-com era is that many AI companies are building real products, solving real problems, and creating genuine economic value.”
The discussions highlighted growing optimism about Africa’s role in the global AI landscape, alongside calls for stronger investment in talent, infrastructure, innovation, and policy frameworks to position the continent as a meaningful player in the future of artificial intelligence.
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