The Federal Government on Thursday launched an Artificial Intelligence training programme for public servants in partnership with Google as part of efforts to transform governance and improve service delivery in Nigeria. The initiative, which was unveiled in Abuja, is anchored on the Apolitical Government AI Campus, a global hub for AI excellence in government supported by Google. It is delivered through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, with the goal of equipping civil servants and government leaders with the skills needed to adopt and apply artificial intelligence in daily operations.
Speaking virtually at the launch, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the programme was designed to align with President Bola Tinubu’s plan to build a one trillion dollar economy and ensure Nigeria is not left behind in the global race for AI adoption. He explained that artificial intelligence had become central to the productivity of key sectors such as food security, education and healthcare.
Tijani said the government had already developed a national AI strategy, established a National AI Trust and the Artificial Intelligence Collective, and released a government-backed multilingual large language model. He noted that these investments would amount to little if public servants were not empowered to use AI in their daily work.
The minister said, “Despite all these investments in deepening the absorptive capacity, we also understand the need for government itself to accelerate the understanding among our civil servants, but also accelerate the adoption and integration of artificial intelligence into how we do things in government. Whether it’s by using it to accelerate and shorten the time we spend on administrating our processes, or by using it to better deliver to our people. And this is why the e-political government AI campus is extremely important. We have been putting resources into ensuring that we can support our civil servants and our public service in a manner that AI can become something that is native to them. And this is why we’re extremely excited about this opportunity and support from Google.”
Tijani stressed that Nigeria must increase the absorptive capacity of government itself to integrate AI into administration and deliver better results to citizens.
The Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for West Africa at Google, Adewolu Adene, said that the training would follow a phased approach to support AI adoption. He explained that the first phase would focus on senior decision makers to help them understand the importance of artificial intelligence in governance. The second phase would target middle-level executives and focus on how to strategically apply AI in daily government processes. The final stage would train civil servants across different levels to use AI tools effectively.
Adene described the initiative as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Nigeria’s public service to transition from digital to intelligent government. He pointed to research showing that AI could deliver up to 1.75 trillion dollars in annual global productivity gains for the public sector by 2033. He also noted that citizens across the world expect AI to streamline government operations and improve service delivery.
Google’s Director for West Africa, Olumide Balogun, said that supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation involves investing in people who shape the country’s future. He explained that the company’s partnership with the public sector would provide essential knowledge that enables public officials to deliver more efficient services.
Google’s Communications Manager for West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said the company had maintained a long record of investment in Nigeria through various digital skills training initiatives, infrastructure projects such as the Equiano subsea cable, and support for start-ups. He described the AI Campus as a programme created for public sector leaders and practitioners who drive national progress. He said it is focused on using artificial intelligence to improve healthcare, education and public services for Nigerians.
Vice President at Apolitical, Chris Ferguson, highlighted the importance of structured training in government for the successful use of artificial intelligence. “Structured training is the cornerstone for successful AI adoption in government. This initiative is a pioneering effort that will equip Nigerian public servants with the capabilities to lead the digital transformation with confidence and foresight,” Ferguson said.