FG Targets AI, Digital Literacy With ₦12 Billion Research Investment

The Federal Government has announced an ambitious plan to invest ₦12 billion in new research projects focused on accelerating Nigeria's digital economy. The investment is specifically targeted at building national capacity in Artificial Intelligence (AI), connectivity, and digital skills.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, during the opening ceremony of the 18th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) in Abuja.

Three New Research Clusters
Dr. Tijani detailed that the new ₦12 billion fund is a follow-up to a previous government initiative that successfully funded 55 research projects. This new, larger investment will be used to establish three dedicated research clusters distributed across six Nigerian universities.

According to the minister, the clusters will be focused on:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): To build expertise and drive innovation in AI technologies tailored to Nigeria's specific needs.

Connectivity: To research and solve one of the nation's most significant challenges, aiming to improve digital access across the country.

Digital Skills and Literacy: To develop strategies and programs to upskill Nigeria's vast and youthful population.

"Digital technologies are now the core of human activities," Dr. Tijani stated, emphasizing that these technologies must be seen not just as economic tools, but "as tools to reshape society and govern society as well."

Digital Literacy to Enter School Curricula by 2026
Reinforcing the government's commitment to digital literacy, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, also spoke at the event.

Inuwa revealed that NITDA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has secured approval to integrate digital literacy and skills training directly into Nigeria's formal school curricula by 2026.

"We have a very young population, our citizens are digitally native and they are all online, therefore governments need to meet them where they are," Inuwa said.

The ₦12 billion investment and the new educational policies represent a significant, coordinated push by the Federal Government to ensure Nigeria is not just a participant, but a competitive leader, in the global digital and AI-driven economy.