GITEX Nigeria: Unlocking Africa’s Productivity Is Reliant On AI.... Says Bosun Tijani

Dr. Bosun Tijani 
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy

 

"Countries already leveraging AI are witnessing exponential gains in agriculture, finance, logistics and education, while many African economies still depend on guesswork and outdated practices." Tijani 

“AI will widen the productivity gap between nations. Countries that are already ahead will move even faster, while those still catching up will find it even more difficult.”

Nigeria's Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has restart the need for African countries to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) as a key enabler of productivity, competitiveness and employment creation.

Tijani, while speaking at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Nigeria 2025 in Abuja, cautioned that Africa could be left behind if it does not fast-track the adoption of artificial intelligence across key sectors of the economy.

According to the Minister, "countries already leveraging AI are witnessing exponential gains in agriculture, finance, logistics and education, while many African economies still depend on guesswork and outdated practices.

“AI will widen the productivity gap between nations. Countries that are already ahead will move even faster, while those still catching up will find it even more difficult,” he said.

Tijani cited examples from recent visits to Brazil and South Africa of AI-driven precision agriculture, where farmers use soil sensors, predictive analytics, drones and satellite imaging to improve yields and cut input costs by as much as 95 per cent. By contrast, Nigerian farmers still average 2.5 tonnes of maize per hectare compared to Brazil’s 10–12 tonnes.

To guide Africa’s AI journey, he outlined four priorities: namely;

* Balancing sovereignty with collaboration—developing national AI strategies while pursuing shared standards to avoid fragmentation.

* Leveraging Africa’s youthful population—equipping young people with future-ready skills through initiatives such as the “3 Million Technical Talent” programme.

* Digitizing African realities—creating relevant datasets in agriculture, health and education to ensure AI solutions reflect local needs.

* Investing in infrastructure—ensuring affordable connectivity and clean energy as the foundation for AI-driven development.

Minister Tijani stressed that AI should be seen as an opportunity for Africa to become a producer, not merely a consumer, of innovation.

“If we cannot close this gap, Africa risks becoming a continent that imports food, imports services and imports innovation. That is not the Africa we want,” he said, urging stakeholders to move beyond discussions and commit to actionable plans.

Speaking also at the event, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa called on African nations to collaborate in building shared AI infrastructure to avoid being left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Inuwa,while delivering his welcome address at the summit, cautioned that while Africa played only a peripheral role in past industrial revolutions, the rise of artificial intelligence presents the continent with a unique opportunity to take the lead.

“Any country left behind in this AI revolution risks catastrophe, while those who lead will shape the world,” he said.

Citing research by Epoch AI, Inuwa noted that automation could increase global economic growth by 20 per cent, potentially doubling the world economy within five years. He outlined four areas for Africa’s AI capacity-building: Human Capital—harnessing the continent’s youthful and digitally native population through programmes like Nigeria’s 3 Million Tech Talent and Digital Literacy for All.

* Infrastructure—expanding connectivity, building data centres and investing in shared computing power to process African data locally.

* Policy and Legal Frameworks—developing national AI strategies, with Nigeria already taking the lead under Tijani’s guidance.

* Enabling Ecosystem—supporting start-ups, AI research and partnerships with global tech companies, including funding for 45 Nigerian AI-focused start-ups.

The NITDA DG also highlighted the need for local large language models (LLMs) to ensure African cultures and values are represented in global AI systems.

Wrapping up the Abuja summit, Executive Vice President of the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Trixie LohMirmand called for deeper global collaboration to ensure Nigeria secures a central place in the AI economy.

Lohmirmand stressed that Nigeria’s growing population—projected to rise from 230 million today to 400 million by 2050—makes it a frontier of digital opportunity.

“Nigeria is not defined by the headlines or its current challenges, but by the scale of opportunities of tomorrow. Those who stay the course are the future of Africa."

She highlighted the role of GITEX as a global ecosystem of technology stakeholders, investors and innovators, stressing that Nigeria must “claim its seat at the global digital table.”

LohMirmand further reaffirmed DWTC’s commitment to Africa, noting that GITEX Nigeria would provide a strong platform for start-ups, SMEs and innovators to access global partnerships and compete on an international scale.