AI adoption key to Africa’s growth- Minister Bosun Tijan
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has warned that Africa risks widening its productivity gap with the rest of the world if it fails to deliberately adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking on Monday at the 2025 GITEX Summit in Abuja, Tijani described AI as the new engine of global productivity and competitiveness, already transforming sectors such as agriculture, logistics, finance and education.
The 2025 GITEX Nigeria is the first technology event of its kind in the country, and the launch follows a memorandum of understanding signed in May 2024 between KAOUN International, organisers of GITEX Global, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Dr Tijani noted that while Nigeria’s maize yield averages 2.5 tonnes per hectare, farmers in Brazil produce up to 12 tonnes by using AI-driven tools such as soil sensors, predictive analytics, drones and satellite imaging.
“In Brazil, farmers use AI-driven soil sensors and predictive analytics to decide the exact time to plant and harvest. In South Africa, satellite imaging and drone technology, combined with AI models, allow farmers to monitor crops in real time and respond to threats faster,” he explained.
The Minister said similar innovations were driving efficiency across other industries, from optimising delivery routes in logistics to automating fraud detection in finance and delivering low-cost personalised lessons in education.
Without urgent action, he warned, Africa risks remaining a consumer continent, importing food, services and innovations, rather than becoming a producer and leader.
“If we cannot close this gap, Africa risks becoming a continent of consumers—importing food, importing services, importing innovation—instead of producers and leaders. That is not the Africa we want,” he added.
To reverse this, Tijani outlined four priorities: balancing national sovereignty with unified AI standards, preparing Africa’s youth through large-scale digital skills training, digitising the continent’s realities to build relevant datasets, and investing in infrastructure such as connectivity, computing power and clean energy.
He urged African leaders to act now to secure the continent’s future in the AI-driven economy.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr Kashifu Inuwa, stressed the need for African countries to collaborate on shared infrastructure.
He cautioned that missing out on the AI revolution could have “catastrophic consequences”, as Africa did with past industrial revolutions.
Dr Inuwa pointed to Nigeria’s investments in digital literacy campaigns, AI research grants and the three million talent programme, saying the continent’s youthful, tech-savvy population is its greatest advantage.
The Executive Vice President of Dubai World Trade Centre and Chief Executive Officer of KAOUN International, Trixie LohMirmand, noted the importance of global collaboration in shaping Africa’s digital economy.
She said partnerships between Nigeria and international players hold the key to driving innovation, attracting fresh investment, and positioning the continent as a strong player in the global technology landscape.
According to her, Africa’s youthful population and growing digital adoption create unique opportunities that can be unlocked through strategic cooperation with global stakeholders.
Editing by Daniel Adejo
