FG receives $3.5m seed funding for Artificial Intelligence, makes case for African Council on AI
The federal government has advocated for the establishment of African Council for Artificial Intelligence (AI) just as it confirmed the receipt of 3.5 United States dollars as seed funding for AI strategy from interested partners.
The Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the African Council for AI has become imperative to ensure that the deployment of Artificial Intelligence in Africa is shaped by uniform regulations and market prospects.
He said: “We already have same markets and trade regulations within Africa and in some sub-region, it is important the future of AI in Africa follow same pattern for ease of transactions, shared experiences and mutual opportunities and benefits.”
He made the remarks at the weekend during the closing ceremony of a four-day international workshop on National Artificial Intelligence and Strategy for Nigeria with over 120 experts, researchers, academia and professionals from across the world in attendance.
Speaking on the seed funding for National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Dr Tijani disclosed that $3.5 million has been received in support of Nigeria efforts in AI systems and its deployment in Nigeria.
He said the donation came from foreign and local partners such as the United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP) UNESCO; Meta, Google, Microsoft, Luminate; Lagos Business school and Data Science Nigeria, NITDA and other agencies under the supervision of his Ministry.
He said the funding comprises $1.5m direct funding and another $2m invested into the pilot program by 21st Century Technologies.
The minister said with a collective pool of resources by both local and foreign partners, there is nothing impossible for Nigeria to achieve with the AI strategy.
He said Nigeria would need the strategy now to prepare the citizens ahead of the future as AI would come to Nigeria same way it would come to young people in Kenya and America.
Tijani further explained that the AI Collective for Growth initiative led by NITDA and run by Lagos Business School would receive the funding from partners for the next three years.
He said: ‘‘This is not just another workshop that ends today, your efforts in the last four days will continue to make a lasting impression for tomorrow and we will by action ensure AI takes lead in Nigeria.
‘‘We have been blessed with a partnership with Galaxy Backbone with a data centre already allocated to AI. For the pilot of this program, we have seen 21st Century Investing $2m into it.
‘‘My experience over the past 7 to 8 months is about supporting visions, to be able to articulate and come up with solutions. Funding resources and manpower is not a problem for Nigeria.
“With president we have today, Nigeria can even fund some of these things because it is willing to invest in deep infrastructure.
‘’When we come together, there is nothing we cannot do. We may not understand the significance of this event but for me, the approach to AI is to overcome the power of fear and one that is followed with extreme resources. Certain nations that were expected to participate in it did not, but it heartwarming that we other collaboration with NITDA and other partners funding this initiative.”
The director general of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, expressed optimism that if gotten right, the strategy would lay a solid foundation and help Nigeria achieve all its blueprints, as well as help the president to deliver his priority areas.
He said: ‘‘Imagine a world without scarcity of resources, where every human being has access to basic needs, clean water and shelter. Imagine a world where death is an option, where all terminal diseases are cured, where aging can be reversed, where genetic disorders can be corrected.
“And imagine a world where we do not need to do mundane things, where we have lots of machines, robots doing many things for us, where everything we desire happens without you doing anything.
“All these things are possible, that is the future arising before us as faster. We have innovators using AI to improve Agriculture, gene transplantation of pigs to human beings. This is the foundation being laid.
‘‘We need to win the battle today and shape our tomorrow and we cannot afford to lose the battle tomorrow with the AI revolution. AI is going to be bigger than the internet.
“The Internet is said to have lifted more than 1bn people out of poverty over 30 years, through the kind of value created. So, if AI is more than the internet, imagine what it can do. I believe this is the right time to get AI strategy and for us to be active player in the AI race,” the NITDA boss asserted.
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