Does Nigeria need more AI talent?

Short answer, I don’t think so.

Really it is a very complicated question that cannot simply be answered with a Yes or No.

Take, for example, last Thursday, the Nigerian guardian newspaper published an article urging the government to focus on training more AI talent, implying that there are simply not enough AI technologists in Nigeria. I disagree.

In 2023, Vanguard news reported that Computer Science, for the third consecutive time, was the top course studied by Nigerian youth at the university. Furthermore, Nigeria’s tech industry is the largest in Africa, with Fintech leading the way. Many Nigerians today are even bypassing university, choosing instead, to focus on acquiring digital skills. So to say that “Software engineering and AI expertise” is limited in the country is not a complete reflection of reality.

The major reason provided for the opinion that “Nigeria needs more AI talent” is the fact that major Nigerian companies continue to import hardware infrastructure and digital services to maintain the country’s technological sector. However, this is not a problem that is unique to Nigeria. Pumping out more technologists and AI design experts will not automatically mean Nigeria will suddenly be able to produce  (locally) the tech products we use in the country. If Quality and Quantity were merely sufficient for local production then China, the UK, India, South Korea and Singapore would already be AI independent by now. Each of these countries produce top AI talent, yet they are all scrambling to achieve the same AI independence that journalists at the Guardian want for Nigeria. 

The reason why Nigeria (as well as many other countries) is yet to achieve AI independence is this: AI Talent is a necessary condition (not a sufficient condition) for National AI independence. This means that AI talent alone, while important, will not solve Nigeria’s technology dependence issues. 

Increasing the quantity of AI talent is certainly a worthwhile aim for any country. Who wouldn’t want more experts who study what may be the most critical infrastructure of our lifetime? Still, for Nigeria there must be a dedicated political vision. For example, increased funding for research and development, inclusion of the private sector in the vision, government support for AI startups and more.

The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) has a tool that measures the most important indicators for success in AI, they call it the Global AI Vibrancy Rankings tool. AI talent is just one out of 39 indicators.

There is good news though! In September 2025, the Nigerian government inaugurated the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS), a political strategy that aims to position Nigeria as a top AI adopter in Africa by prioritizing responsible, ethical, and collaborative AI development. The current plan is to first, focus on AI integration in agriculture and education. Evidentially, the country is developing a national AI strategy, spearheaded by Mr. Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications and Digital Economy. Not only that but there is also a recent regulatory change to how data is managed in the country (see this  previous post, for more).

All of this to say that talent (alone) will not save Nigeria. In a world where most countries are joining the race to be leaders in AI system deployment and innovation, to succeed Nigeria has to be smarter and unconventional. So far, I think we are moving in the right direction.