The government-backed National Artificial Intelligence Strategy will be submitted to the National Assembly for approval within weeks, signalling a major push to formalise AI governance in Africa’s largest economy, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said on Wednesday.

The strategy, no longer in draft form, was finalised after consultations with government agencies, academia, industry players, and civil society, Tijani said in a keynote address at the Crisis Management Advocacy Month 2026 Conference in Lagos.

“I am pleased to share that Nigeria now has a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. It is no longer a draft; it is fully developed. Our policy framework is expected to receive final legislative approval in the next one or two weeks,” Tijani said.

The minister highlighted that Nigeria has become the first African country to develop a government-backed large language model capable of understanding and communicating in local languages, including Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Ibibio, in addition to English. “This ensures our local context and languages are fully represented in the global AI ecosystem,” he said.

The strategy, first launched in 2024 and rolled out nationwide in 2025, positions AI as a driver of economic growth, sectoral transformation, and inclusive innovation.

Its framework outlines Nigeria’s ambition to become a leading AI hub in West Africa and a global AI player by 2030.

It rests on five pillars: building foundational AI infrastructure such as high-performance computing centres, clean-energy AI clusters, and upgraded data centres; fostering talent through Centres of Excellence and innovation hubs; accelerating AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, energy, finance, and public services; embedding ethical safeguards for fairness, transparency, and accountability; and establishing governance mechanisms for regulatory oversight.

Implementation will involve collaboration between public institutions, startups, academia, and private-sector partners, supported by monitoring frameworks, funding mechanisms, and milestone tracking to scale AI research and skills development.

The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy leads the strategy, with technical support from the National Information Technology Development Agency and its National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, alongside contributions from the Nigerian Communications Commission and Galaxy Backbone.

The Crisis Management Advocacy Month, organised by CMC Connect LLP (Perception Consulting), convened participants physically and virtually, featuring sessions on emerging AI risks and the need for smarter response frameworks in an increasingly digital era.