The Federal Government and Google on Thursday conducted a training for Nigerian civil servants in a bid to harness $1.75 trillion in annual public sector productivity gains from artificial intelligence, AI, by 2033.
In his speech at the event in Abuja, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani emphasised the critical role of AI skills in the actualisation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government’s $1 trillion economy target by 2030.
He explained the Nigerian government’s commitment to deepen capacity among civil servants to ensure that AI skills play a critical role in every part of the Nigerian economy, including the education, agriculture, healthcare and governance sectors.
“We see artificial intelligence as a major driver of productivity across our key sectors. We have been putting resources into ensuring that we can support our civil servants and our public service in a manner that AI can become something that is native to them… to accelerate and shorten the time we spend on administrating our processes, or by using it to better deliver to our people.
“And this is why we’re extremely excited about this opportunity and support from Google and Apolitical,” the minister said.
Speaking on Google’s motivation for supporting the programme, Olumide Balogun, West Africa Director at Google, said, “Championing Nigeria’s digital transformation means investing in the people who shape its future. By working hand-in-hand with public sector leaders and practitioners, we are not only providing technical resources but also sharing knowledge that empowers them to deliver better, more efficient government services.
“Through AI, Nigerian communities can benefit from smarter solutions, improved social outcomes, and greater inclusion in a rapidly changing digital economy.”
Chris Ferguson, Vice President at Apolitical, reinforced the value of upskilling and boosting governance productivity with AI.
“Structured training is the cornerstone for successful AI adoption in government. This initiative is a pioneering effort that will equip Nigerian public servants with the capabilities to lead the digital transformation with confidence and foresight.”
