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Nigerian Minister Bosun Tijani Named Among TIME’s 100 AI Leaders

Babajide FADOJU

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has been recognized as one of TIME’s 100 most influential leaders in artificial intelligence for his transformative work in advancing Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. As a seasoned entrepreneur, Tijani is applying a startup mindset to governance, spearheading initiatives to position Nigeria as a global player in AI innovation.

Tijani leads the ambitious 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program, launched to train 3 million Nigerians in technical skills by 2027. “We may not have the compute and infrastructure, but we do have the talent,” Tijani told TIME. The program has already empowered nearly 300,000 Nigerians through a blend of online platforms and 220 in-person learning centers, with a focus on job placement through strategic partnerships. Collaborations, such as a United Nations-European Union initiative, have secured internships for fellows, while companies like Awarri are hiring 3MTT graduates for data labeling roles.

Beyond training, Tijani emphasizes the need to digitize Nigeria’s unique data to enhance AI systems. Many 3MTT graduates are now working within government ministries to digitize operations, creating datasets tailored to Nigeria’s context for AI development.

In April, Tijani unveiled Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, crafted with input from 150 local experts to foster a responsible and sustainable AI ecosystem. His vision extends to establishing a national AI trust to ensure AI remains a priority beyond his tenure, alongside an AI scaling hub with the Gates Foundation to integrate AI into healthcare, agriculture, and education. Additionally, with support from partners like the World Bank, Tijani is overseeing the deployment of 90,000km of fiber-optic cables, tripling Nigeria’s fiber-optic capacity to bolster digital infrastructure.

“While many associate AI with Silicon Valley, no country builds an AI ecosystem without government involvement,” Tijani said, highlighting the critical role of public policy in tech innovation. His leadership is setting a bold path for Nigeria to harness AI for national development and global impact.

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