Nigeria’s AI ambitions depend on building for local realities

Nigeria's progress in artificial intelligence (AI) will be measured by the local issues it addresses, as panelists noted during "The State of AI in Nigeria" at Moonshot by TechCabal on Thursday. The discussion featured Olubunmi Okunowo, a senior programme officer at the Gates Foundation; Johnson Agogbua, founder and CEO of Kasi Cloud; and Dr Yetunde Anibaba, a senior lecturer at Lagos Business School.

Moderator Dr Olubayo Adekambi, founder and CEO of Data Scientists Network, emphasized the importance of incorporating the insights of those who use AI tools into their development. While technical expertise is crucial, it is not sufficient on its own; developers need individuals who possess firsthand knowledge of the problems they aim to solve.

A 2024 GSMA report highlighted that a combination of local data, skills, and infrastructure determines whether AI tools are built and utilized. Tools that disregard local languages and working conditions may inadvertently exclude the very people they aim to assist. Agogbua argued that AI's primary contribution to Nigeria should be productivity, citing healthcare and agriculture as sectors where AI could revolutionize processes.

However, merely creating the right tool does not guarantee its accessibility. Anibaba stressed that affordability and accessibility determine whether AI reaches those who require it the most. She highlighted the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub, a platform based at Lagos Business School and backed by the Gates Foundation, which aids in scaling AI solutions for healthcare, agriculture, and education.

She also called for clearer policies to expedite AI adoption, particularly in the healthcare sector. In summary, Nigeria's AI advancement will be evaluated based on the local problems it tackles. For entrepreneurs, this implies collaborating with domain experts from the outset, designing products tailored to the end-users, and planning for costs, accessibility, and regulatory challenges prior to launch.