The Nigerian government’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has revealed its plans to establish research centers dedicated to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Local media reported that the initiative was announced by NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, at the opening of the IoT West Africa Conference and Exhibition in Lagos. Inuwa, represented by NITDA’s Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Aristotle Onumo, highlighted the agency’s dedication to fostering a robust technology research ecosystem.
Innovation-driven research centers
The planned research centers will focus on pivotal sectors such as IoT, blockchain technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), additive manufacturing, AI, and robotics. Inuwa stated:
“We are forming a specialized entity to oversee these critical sectors and establish research centers across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, each dedicated to advancing these six key areas of emerging technologies.”
Beyond research funding, NITDA aims to aid Nigerian startups in leveraging emerging technologies to develop products. The agency intends to establish innovation sandboxes to assist startups in creating use cases, establishing businesses, and bringing their products to market.
NITDA is also crucial in nurturing talent through the Nigerian government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program, which aims to train and empower three million Nigerians with technical skills by 2027.
The envisioned Silicon Valley of Africa
Inuwa acknowledged that trained individuals leaving the country could contribute to Nigeria’s export of talent and bolster foreign exchange through higher remittance inflows. Shitij Taneja, managing director of Vertex Next, organizers of the IoT West Africa Conference and Exhibition, emphasized Nigeria’s potential to become “Africa’s next Silicon Valley.”
He highlighted the country’s extensive youth population and dynamic startup ecosystem as pivotal elements. Co-located with the Africa Data Center and Cloud Expo Africa, the conference seeks to draw investors to Nigerian startups specializing in emerging technologies.
Recently, the United States and Nigeria expressed plans to engage in talks concerning the digital economy, emerging technology, and AI, aiming to explore potential partnership opportunities. These discussions are geared towards enhancing economic bonds between the two nations and fostering deeper collaborations in these fields.
Additionally, the Nigerian government has introduced its inaugural multilingual large language model, aiming to establish a leading role in AI development across Africa.