Nigeria adopts a national AI strategy focused on sovereignty and consumer protection

In short: Nigeria adopted a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy in August 2024, with a focus on national control of AI and stronger consumer protections.

What happened

Nigeria adopted its first comprehensive National Artificial Intelligence Strategy on Thursday, 29 August 2024. The strategy is meant to be a roadmap for how both government and businesses develop and use AI.

A central theme is “sovereign capability.” In simple terms, Nigeria wants the skills, tools, and decision making power to build and manage AI systems at home, rather than depending mainly on outside companies or foreign rules. It is similar to wanting to grow more food locally instead of relying on imports.

The strategy also puts consumer protection and ethics at the center. It calls for clearer rules on how data is used and how AI systems are deployed, especially in sensitive areas. It also highlights the need to reduce harms like biased AI, which can treat people unfairly because it learned from uneven or flawed information.

Nigeria’s plan includes work on legal and regulatory frameworks, meaning laws and oversight processes that spell out who is responsible when AI causes harm. It also aims to build local capacity, such as training, research, and infrastructure, so Nigerian organizations can create and run their own AI tools.

Why it matters

AI is already being used in daily services, from banking to public administration. Clear rules and accountability can help protect people from unsafe or unfair uses, while local capacity can give Nigeria more control over how these systems affect jobs, services, and rights.

Source: NYTimes