The bilateral talks aim to strengthen economic ties and AI deployment.
The United States and Nigeria are deepening cooperation in the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI), heralding a new era in their relationship focused on technological advancement and economic growth. The announcement came at the closing ceremony of the four-day National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Workshop held in Abuja. Here, the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Arthur Brown, outlined plans for future discussions.
Upcoming AI conference in Lagos
According to Brown, in the next two weeks, senior U.S. government officials will gather in Abuja for an important meeting hosted by the U.S.-Nigeria Bilateral Commission. The conference aims to build on the momentum of recent workshops by hosting a further AI conference in Lagos and provide a platform for the two countries to explore potential partnerships on emerging technologies.
Partnership Goals
The primary goal of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership is to ensure that AI deployments are safe, transparent, and trustworthy. Brown emphasized that the United States stands ready to work with Nigeria as an equitable partner to advance initiatives encompassing talent development, infrastructure, research, and innovation. He also highlighted Nigeria’s recent support of the United Nations’ important resolution on AI and applauded the ongoing cooperation between the two countries to strengthen economic ties.
Economic Impact and Policy Focus
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, spoke at the workshop about how important it is for African governments to take decisive action to support technological aspirations. Citing a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tijani noted that artificial intelligence could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. This includes $3 trillion in productivity gains and $9.1 trillion in new goods and services. However, Tijani emphasized that Nigeria should not only focus on profits, but also on building effective governance for AI to maximize its potential across various sectors.
Collaborative efforts and workshop results
The Ministry of Communications and Innovation and the Ministry of Digital Economy organized the four-day workshop in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The event played a pivotal role in launching Nigeria’s first multilingual Large Language Model (LLM), marking a significant step towards Nigeria’s leadership in AI development in Africa. In August 2023, the Nigerian government invited traditional Nigerian scientists and world-renowned experts to help shape the national artificial intelligence strategy.