President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai.

On Wednesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai to discuss ways to strengthen Nigeria's capabilities in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital innovation.

The discussions in Paris, France, centred on prospective alliances that may help Nigeria establish itself as a global technology hub.

President Tinubu shared thoughts from the discussion in a post on his X handle, emphasising the government's commitment to using AI and digital technology to drive national growth.

“We are exploring partnership opportunities with Google, focusing on five key areas: enhancing scalable cloud infrastructure, equipping our workforce with essential skills, promoting AI innovation and research, driving cloud adoption, and elevating Nigeria's standing in the global tech landscape,” he stated.

The President emphasised Nigeria's burgeoning AI ecosystem, citing Awarri Technologies, a local AI infrastructure provider, as a key player.

To quote Tinubu, "Nigeria is poised to take the lead in AI and technology—this is merely the start of an exciting journey."

Tinubu's talks with Sundar Pichai align with his administration's Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasises economic diversification through industrialisation and innovation.

"This AI initiative will create new opportunities and empower businesses, establishing Nigeria as a major force in the global digital economy," according to him.

Sundar Pichai echoed his sentiments, expressing enthusiasm about the potential of AI in Nigeria and the intriguing collaborations that could emerge.

“It was great meeting with President Tinubu. We talked about the immense potential of AI in Nigeria and how we can partner to expand skills and enable innovation,” he said.

The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy will manage the partnership's strategic efforts, while the National Information Technology Development Agency will handle execution.