With bold investment, government’s commitment and strategic partnerships, Nigeria can carve out a role in the trillion-dollar semiconductor industry, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, United States, Adebunmi Kayode has said.

Noting that Africa remained almost absent from the semiconductor supply chain, contributing less than one per cent to global output, Kayode said Nigeria, also being Africa’s largest economy and despite its abundant reserves of silicon, boron, and copper, has no significant investment in semiconductor research or production.

He said as Nigeria pushes to reduce its dependence on oil, a strategic shift towards semiconductors could unlock industrialisation, create thousands of high-value jobs, and boost the country’s GDP.

Kayode urged the Federal Government to establish the National Semiconductor Policy under the Ministry of Science and Technology to guide investment, regulation, and industry growth.

Quoting data from McKinsey & Company, he said the global semiconductor market was valued at $600 billion in 2021, with forecasts projecting it will surpass $1 trillion by 2030, driven by demand for 5G, AI and data centres.

Kayode, an electrical and computer engineering researcher,  argued that as the fourth industrial revolution reshapes the global economy, countries without semiconductor capabilities risk falling behind.

Noting that Nigeria could not afford to be just a consumer in the digital age, he urged that the country must prioritise chip production to secure a competitive spot in the global tech industry.

According to him, semiconductors are fundamental to modern technology, powering everything from smartphones to medical equipment.
Kayode stressed that Nigeria could also leverage its diaspora to transfer semiconductor expertise and create mentorship programmes by investing in infrastructure for cleanrooms, chip design software, and international research collaborations to further enable industry growth.

Speaking further on the benefits, he argued that semiconductor investment could drive a lasting economic shift, reducing petroleum dependency, strengthening the naira, and creating a competitive technology-driven export market.
He maintained that a focus on policy, education, and infrastructure could ignite innovation across industries, from healthcare to agriculture, adding that with rich natural resources, a youthful population, and a growing technology sector, Nigeria has the potential to integrate into the global semiconductor supply chain.
“Nigeria is home to more than 2,000 tech startups, particularly in fintech, health tech, and agritech. Investing in domestic chip production could lower hardware costs, enabling startups to scale faster.
“Semiconductor Research Clusters should be created at top universities, fostering chip design and R&D. Offering tax incentives to attract global producers and encourage domestic investors would also be crucial.
“Companies like Qualcomm and Nvidia grew using the fabless model, focusing on chip design rather than manufacturing. Nigeria could follow suit, prioritising electronic design, intellectual property creation and chip engineering—a lower-cost approach to entering the semiconductor industry.”
“The semiconductor industry in the United States directly employs over 277,000 professionals, with millions more in related sectors. Nigeria can tap into its young workforce to establish itself as a digital economy leader,” he said.