Nigeria must move beyond consuming artificial intelligence (AI) technologies developed elsewhere and become a co-driver of its own AI ecosystem, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said.

Yilwatda made the call at the APC-ICT, Telecom and Digital Economy Stakeholder Webinar, themed “Nigeria’s Digital Economy: Building the Infrastructure, Policy and Investment Framework for the Next Decade,” national dialogue convened by Knowhow Media International and IT Edge News.Africa.

He said the next decade would be defined by AI, making it necessary for Nigeria to develop the infrastructure, policies, skills and investment required to participate meaningfully in the technology.

“The next decade will be defined by AI. And the question of Nigeria is not whether AI will shape our economy. It will be whether the AI will shape it, but it’s simply whether we will rent it. And I don’t want us to rent it. I want us to be the co-driver of our own artificial intelligence as a country,” he says.

Yilwatda: The next decade will be defined by AI

“The next decade will be defined by AI. And the question of Nigeria is not whether AI will shape our economy. It will be whether the AI will shape it, but it’s simply whether we will rent it. And I don’t want us to rent it. I want us to be the co-driver of our own artificial intelligence as a country,” he says.

The APC chairman said Nigeria’s national AI strategy provides an opportunity to establish a stronger domestic AI ecosystem, adding that the strategy would require legislative backing to become fully effective.

According to him, he would work with the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, National Assembly members and technology stakeholders to accelerate the legislative process.

“Nigeria has an AI national strategy. And the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy has indicated that it has been finalised and is awaiting legislative backing,” he says.

Yilwatda said political leadership had a role to play in ensuring that policies designed to support the digital economy translated into legislation and implementation.

He proposed greater collaboration between government, lawmakers and private-sector technology companies in shaping the legal framework for AI, arguing that legislation should reflect the operational realities of businesses and technology practitioners.

“Sometimes it’s good to have a bill, but sometimes the bills may be fashioned based on what government thinks is operationally nice in court. But operationally nice may not meet the needs on ground of the actors like you,” he says.

The APC chairman also linked Nigeria’s AI ambitions to the broader question of digital sovereignty, particularly the location and control of critical national data.

He raised concerns over Nigeria’s dependence on foreign data-hosting infrastructure, claiming that more than 80 per cent of Nigerian sovereign data is currently hosted outside the country.

He argued that Nigeria’s ability to control and protect its data would be increasingly important as AI adoption expands across government, businesses and critical sectors.

“A nation that cannot hold, cannot protect, cannot host, and cannot protect its data internally, stands to lose control over its destiny,” he says.

“A nation that cannot hold, cannot protect, cannot host, and cannot protect its data internally, stands to lose control over its destiny,” he says.

Yilwatda backed the development of domestic cloud infrastructure and policies that favour certified local cloud providers in public procurement, saying such measures would help build local capacity and retain critical data within Nigeria.

He also identified cybersecurity as a key component of digital sovereignty, saying the country must strengthen its capacity to defend critical infrastructure and data against cyber threats.

According to him, cybersecurity should be treated as a shared national responsibility involving government institutions, regulators, security agencies and private-sector operators.

The APC chairman further stressed the importance of developing Nigeria’s human capital to support its digital ambitions.

He cited the 3 Million Technical Talent programme, saying more than 106,000 fellows had been trained across different cohorts while over 1.8 million Nigerians had registered for training in areas including software development, AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing.

Yilwatda said the demand demonstrated the need to expand opportunities for Nigerians to participate in the global digital economy.

He said a young Nigerian in Jos, Makurdi, Kano or Aba should be able to work for companies in London, Toronto, Nairobi and other global markets, provided the country can deliver reliable electricity, connectivity, international certifications and effective payment systems.

He added that AI development should therefore be supported by investment in infrastructure, skills and policies that enable Nigerians to create and export digital services.

The APC chairman said the party would seek greater engagement with technology stakeholders and lawmakers to advance digital economy legislation, including frameworks covering responsible AI and e-governance.

He also committed to establishing a digital economy policy engagement desk within the APC to coordinate interaction between technology practitioners, government, the National Assembly and the presidency.