The Federal Government has called on Nigeria to move away from over-reliance on foreign artificial intelligence tools and focus on developing homegrown solutions capable of addressing the country’s unique socio-economic challenges.

The call was made during a high-level engagement involving representatives of the Federal Government and the nation’s university community, where issues relating to technology development, innovation and national self-reliance were extensively discussed.

According to participants at the meeting, Nigeria cannot continue to depend entirely on imported artificial intelligence systems that were designed to solve problems in other climes without adapting to the local realities and needs of the country.

The government representatives stressed that while foreign AI tools have their benefits, they often fail to capture the cultural, economic and social context of Nigeria, making it imperative for the country to build its own technologies.

They noted that developing homegrown artificial intelligence solutions will not only help in solving pressing national problems but will also create jobs, stimulate innovation and position Nigeria as a key player in the global technology ecosystem.

The discussions also highlighted the critical role of universities in driving the much-needed technological revolution, particularly in the area of artificial intelligence research and development.

Stakeholders at the meeting agreed that Nigerian universities must take the lead in producing local AI solutions by promoting cutting-edge research that is tailored towards addressing challenges in sectors such as agriculture, health, education, security and governance.

It was observed that many Nigerian graduates are trained to use foreign technologies rather than being equipped to create their own, a trend that the Federal Government said must be reversed urgently.

The meeting therefore emphasised the need for universities across the country to review and update their curricula to reflect current global trends in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

According to the participants, university curricula should be redesigned to be more practical, hands-on and solution-driven, rather than being overly theoretical and disconnected from industry needs.

They stressed that students and researchers should be equipped with relevant skills in machine learning, data science, robotics and software development to enable them to develop practical solutions to national challenges.

The Federal Government also noted that beyond curriculum review, there is a need for stronger collaboration between academia, industry and government to ensure that research outputs are commercialised and translated into real-world applications.

The engagement underscored the importance of increased funding and investment in local research, particularly in the area of artificial intelligence, to enable Nigerian researchers to compete favourably with their counterparts globally.

Participants further identified the lack of adequate computing infrastructure as a major barrier to AI development in Nigeria, calling on government and private sector players to invest in high-performance computing facilities and data centres.

They argued that without robust computing infrastructure and access to large datasets, Nigerian researchers will continue to struggle to develop and deploy scalable AI solutions that can address local problems.

The discussions also touched on the need for enabling policies and regulatory frameworks that will support the growth of artificial intelligence technologies developed locally and protect intellectual property rights of innovators.

According to the stakeholders, government policies should be deliberately tailored to encourage local content development, provide incentives for start-ups and ensure that Nigerian AI solutions are given priority in public procurement.

The call for homegrown AI solutions comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with numerous challenges, including food insecurity, unemployment, poor healthcare delivery and security concerns, all of which could benefit from locally developed AI applications.

Experts at the meeting expressed optimism that with the right investment, infrastructure and policy support, Nigeria has the human capital and creativity needed to develop world-class AI solutions that can compete globally.

They noted that Nigeria’s youthful population, which is largely tech-savvy and innovative, represents a huge asset that can be harnessed to drive the country’s artificial intelligence revolution.

The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote local technology development, assuring that it will continue to work with universities, research institutions and the private sector to build a vibrant AI ecosystem in Nigeria.

The meeting ended with a resolution that all stakeholders must work together to reduce the country’s dependence on imported technological solutions and to build a self-reliant, innovative and technology-driven economy that can address Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.