As countries accelerate their efforts to lead the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, Nigeria ranks 72nd out of 195 countries in terms of AI readiness.
This highlights a widening gap between ambition and execution, with experts warning that progress will depend less on national policy and more on state-level capacity.
Nigeria’s position exposes deeper structural inefficiencies that continue to limit its potential when benchmarked against continental peers, said Dr Salihu Abdulkarim, director at the National Information Technology Development Agency.
Speaking at a workshop in Kano organised by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), he pointed to a mixed outlook.
“Nigeria’s digital fundamentals are strong on paper, with nearly 180 million mobile subscribers, over 90,000 kilometers of fibre infrastructure, and projections of $18.3 million in revenue by 2026 alongside a 21% ICT contribution to GDP by 2027,” he said.
“However, when benchmarked against continental leaders like Egypt, which ranks 5th globally, Nigeria’s position exposes deeper structural inefficiencies that continue to limit its true potential.”
According to Abdulkarim, even smaller economies are outperforming Nigeria, raising critical questions about how effectively the country is converting its scale into real innovation and global competitiveness.
“Despite the Federal Government’s National AI Strategy launched in 2024, anchored on five key pillars including talent development and an ambitious plan to train three million Nigerians in AI, machine learning, and data science, implementation gaps continue to persist,” he said.
He added that these efforts risk being undermined by persistent structural challenges, including fibre vandalism, high right-of-way costs, unreliable power supply, and limited rural connectivity.
According to CITAD’s executive director, Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, the real test lies in whether state governments possess the infrastructure, data capacity, and policy awareness required to operationalise AI.
To address this gap, CITAD has launched pilot assessments in Kano, Plateau, and Bauchi to evaluate not just infrastructure, but also public awareness and institutional readiness, with findings expected to guide how AI deployment strategies are decentralised across Nigeria.
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