By James Ishaku
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has urged African nations to take the lead in the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, warning that failure to act could leave the continent behind in the fourth industrial revolution.
Speaking at the opening of GITEX Nigeria Conference 2025, Inuwa said Africa must not repeat the mistakes of previous industrial revolutions where it played a marginal role.
“Any country left behind in this AI revolution risks catastrophe, while those who lead will shape the world,” he said.
He cited research by Epoch AI showing that automation and AI adoption could boost global economic growth by 20 percent and potentially double the world economy in five years a development he said underscores the urgency for Africa to invest in AI.
Inuwa outlined four priority areas for Africa’s AI strategy: human capital development, infrastructure expansion, strong policy and legal frameworks, and an enabling ecosystem for startups and research institutions.
He revealed that Nigeria has already funded 45 AI-focused startups and is working on a national AI strategy that could serve as a model for other African countries.
The NITDA boss also stressed the importance of developing African large language models (LLMs) to reflect the continent’s cultures and languages, warning that African voices risk being erased from the digital future without deliberate action.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, also speaking the event, urged African countries to accelerate AI adoption across key sectors to boost productivity, competitiveness, and job creation.
Earlier, Executive Vice President of Dubai World Trade Centre, Trixie LohMirmand, called for stronger global collaboration to ensure Nigeria secures a central place in the AI economy, describing GITEX Nigeria as a platform for startups and innovators to access international markets.
