The Gates Foundation has challenged Nigerian innovators to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle the country’s most pressing development challenges, stressing that the true value of the technology lies in its ability to improve lives and drive sustainable national development.
The call was made during the launch of the Scaling AI for Development (SAID) Challenge under the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub (NAISH), a collaborative initiative involving the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the Gates Foundation and Lagos Business School.
The initiative aims to move Nigeria’s AI ecosystem beyond pilot projects by accelerating the deployment of proven AI solutions across government institutions and critical public-sector services.
Speaking at the launch, the Country Director of the Gates Foundation Nigeria Country Office, Uche Amaonwu, urged Nigerian innovators to focus on developing home-grown technologies that address local realities rather than relying on imported solutions.
He said Africa must become a producer of AI-driven innovations capable of solving its unique development challenges while contributing to the global conversation on responsible AI.
“Don’t be passive adopters of technology developed elsewhere. We need builders of solutions that reflect local realities and can shape how responsible AI should work in contexts like Nigeria and across the Global South, where the challenges are very different and where the needs are urgent, real and deeply human in nature. This is how we ensure innovation becomes truly transformative,” Amaonwu said.
He explained that the Gates Foundation views artificial intelligence primarily as a development tool capable of improving outcomes in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare and public service delivery.
According to him, AI should help farmers cope with climate variability, enable health workers to deliver better services with limited resources and ultimately improve the quality of life for vulnerable populations.
“The question is whether AI can help us achieve national development. It is not about the glamour of technology but whether it improves outcomes for people where the need is greatest,” he added.
The SAID Challenge is designed to scale tested AI solutions across priority sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education, financial services and public administration by connecting successful innovations with government institutions capable of deploying them nationwide.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, described artificial intelligence as a critical driver of future national competitiveness, saying Nigeria must position itself to benefit from the technology.
He noted that success would not be measured by policy documents or strategic partnerships alone but by AI’s ability to improve productivity, expand access to essential services and create economic opportunities for citizens.
“From the beginning, we understood that artificial intelligence will shape the future competitiveness of nations. The real measure of success will not be in how many strategies we write or partnerships we announce, but whether AI helps a farmer increase productivity, whether it helps a teacher reach more learners, or whether it supports better healthcare, stronger businesses and greater opportunities for people,” Tijani said.
The minister said the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub was established to bridge the gap between policy and implementation, ensuring that technological innovations translate into tangible improvements in livelihoods and institutional performance.
He, however, observed that many promising Nigerian innovations fail to achieve large-scale impact because of inadequate infrastructure, limited financing and weak support systems.
Tijani called for stronger collaboration among researchers, innovators, policymakers and development partners, stressing that broad-based partnerships are essential for scaling technological innovation.
“If we continue to work in isolation, we will not scale, but when we work together with clarity and consistency, we move the country forward. This alignment is what turns vision into national progress,” he said.
He further argued that AI must be deployed to address poverty and inequality by solving practical challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians, including improving access to public services and strengthening agricultural productivity.
Also speaking, the Use Case Acceleration Lead at the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub, Lagos Business School, Oreoluwa Olaitan, said Nigeria’s biggest challenge is not a shortage of AI talent or innovative ideas but the absence of effective systems linking innovations with institutions and end users.
“Nigeria does not have a shortage of AI solutions. We do not have a shortage of AI talent. What we’re short of is the bridge that connects the solutions to the people that need them. Without this bridge, even strong innovations remain disconnected from impact,” he said.
Olaitan explained that the SAID Challenge will operationalise Nigeria’s National AI Strategy by matching validated public-sector challenges with tested AI solutions while supporting Ministries, Departments and Agencies in adopting and scaling the technologies.
According to him, the structured approach is intended to ensure that AI adoption across the public sector is systematic, scalable and focused on measurable development outcomes.
The launch of the SAID Challenge marks another milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to leverage emerging technologies for inclusive economic growth, with government and development partners expressing confidence that artificial intelligence can become a powerful tool for reducing poverty, strengthening public services and accelerating national development.
