The Federal Government has revealed plans to power its $1 trillion economy target through Artificial Intelligence.
This was revealed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, after he was featured in TIME magazine’s 2025 list of the 100 most influential personalities in AI.
Others on the list are Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI head Sam Altman, who are recognised for shaping the future of technology worldwide.
Tijani described artificial intelligence as part of President Bola Tinubu’s ambition to turn Africa’s most populous nation into a $1 1trn economy.
According to him, the recent progress in AI is transformative, citing a national strategy, research programmes and deals with foreign technology firms.
“Proud to be included on @TIME’s list of the #TIME100AI of 2025, a recognition that underscores Nigeria’s growing role in shaping the global future of Artificial Intelligence.
“This honour is a reflection of the collective effort of innovators and partners who believe in the potential of AI to transform societies. Our journey in AI over the last 2 years has been transformative.
“From our National AI Strategy (NAIS) — where we got over 120 experts of Nigerian descent to co-create the long-term strategy for the responsible use and development of AI; to research and demonstration initiatives showing the potentials and practical use cases for AI in critical sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, and financial inclusion.
“…we are facilitating the scaling of mature AI solutions from Nigerian innovators — providing resources, mentorship, and support necessary to translate ideas into impact.
“We are also committed to the long-term sustainability of Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria as we launched our AI Collective, a community of proactive AI researchers and practitioners.
“This recognition from @TIME further validates our belief that Nigeria can stand as a global leader in the responsible and inclusive deployment of AI for increased productivity.
“As we continue on this journey, my commitment remains clear: to ensure AI not only drives innovation, but also contributes to building a $1trillion economy as envisioned by His Excellency President.”
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The framework for Nigeria’s $1trn economy target was announced and officially endorsed by the National Economic Council last week. Overall, Nigeria’s leadership shows clear intent and a roadmap toward realising this economic aspiration by 2030.
From the technology perspective, the government has been piloting AI applications in healthcare, agriculture, education and financial inclusion, areas it says will yield both social and economic returns. With support from partners including Google and the Gates Foundation, Nigeria is also helping scale mature AI solutions developed by local innovators by providing mentorship, resources and funding support.
To sustain the momentum, Tijani announced the creation of the AI Collective, a community of researchers and practitioners backed by philanthropic organisation Luminate, and the AI Trust, a body of national leaders tasked with steering long-term investments in the sector.
