The Federal Government has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Google, aiming to position Nigeria as a leading global technology hub.
The initiative was discussed by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Inuwa Kashifu, in a television interview broadcast from Lagos on Thursday.
Kashifu explained that the partnership would focus on several crucial areas: infrastructure development, scaling the skills of Nigerian citizens, artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, cloud adoption, and creating an investment framework. The collaboration seeks to establish a robust ecosystem that will drive Nigeria’s digital transformation.
The partnership was officially launched during a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Google CEO Sundar Pichai in Paris, where they discussed a comprehensive roadmap for Nigeria’s digital development. Kashifu emphasized that the initiative would have a major impact on the country’s technological evolution.
“The focus will be on five key areas: infrastructure development, scaling of citizens, AI innovation, cloud adoption, and investment framework,” Kashifu said.
He also highlighted the critical role of data centres in advancing the digital economy and stressed the importance of domiciling sensitive data, both for the government and private sector. According to Kashifu, data centres globally do not rely on grid electricity, instead opting for off-grid, green energy solutions to meet their sustainability goals.
“Data centres go off-grid, they go green because they also need carbon credits. We are looking at that as part of the framework,” he added.
The NITDA Director-General further noted that upskilling Nigeria’s workforce is essential to harness the full potential of this partnership. He emphasized the importance of integrating digital skills into Nigeria’s education system, from primary school through to higher education.
Additionally, Kashifu clarified that the collaboration with Awari Technologies, focused on developing a large language model in Nigeria, was not part of the conversation with Google. This initiative, he explained, operates under a “Special Purpose Vehicle” aimed at promoting Nigerian languages and culture.
This strategic partnership is seen as a key milestone in President Tinubu’s vision to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation and tap into the global tech ecosystem.
