Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), believes that Africa’s best opportunity in the global AI race lies not in competing with infrastructure giants, but in focusing on developing local talent and creating small language models (SLMs) tailored to the continent’s specific needs. According to Inuwa, small language models, which are lightweight and designed for African languages and offline environments, present a unique chance for Africa to bypass the heavy infrastructure required by larger AI models. This approach could help the continent leapfrog the technological barriers that have limited its participation in past global tech revolutions.
Nigeria, despite its growing digital adoption, has not been a primary focus for significant AI infrastructure investments, such as those from Cassava Technologies and Nvidia in other parts of Africa. However, Inuwa attributes this to the country’s strategic readiness and timing rather than a lack of ambition. He points to Nigeria’s 2016 Local Content Guidelines, which were revised in 2018 and 2019, as a key step in fostering data residency and preparing for future tech investments. NITDA has since developed an eight-pillar roadmap aimed at boosting talent, research, infrastructure, regulation, and innovation, all to create a robust digital economy.
Inuwa suggests that instead of trying to compete with global hyperscalers like OpenAI and Google in the infrastructure arms race, Africa should focus on building AI applications that solve local problems across sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education. He cites the development of Afro-SLM by Nigerian startup EqualyzAI as a great example of an AI model that is lightweight, adaptable, and designed for local use. In his view, such models could democratize AI access and increase the representation of African languages and cultures in global AI systems.
Inuwa also envisions Nigeria becoming a regional hub for AI and cloud infrastructure. NITDA, in partnership with Google, is laying the groundwork for a sovereign cloud infrastructure in Nigeria, which would serve not only Nigeria but also neighboring countries in West and Central Africa. He believes this infrastructure will drive digital transformation across government services and attract major tech players, including hyperscalers and semiconductor manufacturers.
To achieve this, Inuwa emphasizes the need for Nigeria to focus on building a comprehensive ecosystem, not just physical infrastructure. This includes aligning policies around data classification, investing in AI research, and integrating digital skills from early education through to higher education. He envisions a future where local AI models reflect African values and are trained using African data, ensuring that the continent is not left out of global decision-making.
Inuwa acknowledges that Africa missed out on the first three industrial revolutions but believes it cannot afford to miss the fourth. By focusing on talent, local intelligence, and inclusive innovation, he sees a path forward for Africa to become a leader in AI applications, just as it did with mobile technology. With the ongoing efforts of NITDA and its partnerships, including the collaboration with Google, Inuwa is confident that Nigeria can position itself as a leader in Africa’s digital future, driving AI adoption and creating sustainable economic opportunities.