The Federal Government has urged young Nigerian innovators to harness the advantages of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address the country’s socio-economic challenges.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, made the call while speaking with journalists after delivering the Distinguished Personality Lecture Series at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
Speaking on the theme, “ICT and Employment Generation: Strategies for Economic Growth,” Tijani encouraged tech-savvy Nigerians to reframe the national narrative from one dominated by challenges to one driven by opportunities.
He urged Nigerians to understand the workings of AI and deploy its vast potential in national development, calling on young innovators to join the ranks of entrepreneurs building technology-based solutions to Nigeria’s problems.
“To young innovators: we live at a time that is totally different. Of course, there is so much more that we all desire for our society. We should switch our framing from a society that is filled with challenges to one that is filled with opportunities to build, because the future we require in Nigeria will require many people building new things,” Tijani said.
“I am not saying this only as a Minister, but as someone who took the same position. I worked with someone from this university to build the first known innovation hub in Nigeria. Today, it is known across Africa. We supported many people to build solutions to problems in Nigeria, and that is what every young Nigerian should be doing,” he added.
The minister described AI as essential for accelerating economic growth, stressing that the technology is not designed to replace critical thinking but to enhance human capacity.
“Artificial Intelligence is not about replacing critical thinking; it is about helping humans sieve through the multiple streams of information you have to deal with. The ability to use AI productively will still require you to apply your creative confidence. If you don’t have the ability to apply the knowledge or insight that AI gives you, it will not do the work for you.
“For a country like Nigeria, where productivity is high on our agenda, AI is there to help us accelerate the growth of how we apply knowledge much faster,” he said.
Tijani said the Federal Government would continue to partner with institutions such as OAU that prioritise research, innovation and idea generation in driving President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
“Technology gives you the ability to do what you have always been doing in better ways, and that would not be possible without new thinking, ideas, and technology,” he said.
“Institutions like this help us not just to come up with new science, but also to apply that science and train people to do things better. If we want to improve agriculture, for example, we need people who understand how to use new technology.”
“I think we are fortunate to hear the number of ideas being generated at this university. It shows that this is an institution not just about training, but also about researching and generating new ideas. That is why we are here to partner with the university, with a view to helping us achieve the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu,” Tijani added.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, said the minister’s visit reflected his ministry’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with tertiary institutions in building a digitally empowered, knowledge-based and innovation-driven nation.
Bamire commended Tijani for the approval and establishment of the OAU Centre of Excellence in Telecommunications, granted in July 2023 by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
“The approval for the establishment of this centre in 2023 was warmly received by our university community, as it aligns perfectly with our strategic vision to be a leading hub for innovation, research and development in Information and Communication Technology in Nigeria and Africa at large,” the vice-chancellor said.
