Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

As a developing country, Nigeria is posed with an opportunity to elevate its status quo by harnessing the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve sustainable development crises. Luckily, Nigeria has some foundations that can speed up the adoption process of this emerging technology. This article examines Nigeria's overview of sustainable development, the current state of AI and its key applications, case studies, challenges and strategic recommendations.

An image of a Nigerian map surrounded by icons that represent tech and AI
Image Credit: pavestoneslegal.com

Sustainable Development in Nigeria

The United Nations defines sustainable development as “a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. This definition raises a question: how does one think about the future when resources for today are not sufficient? In a country like Nigeria, where 38.9% of the population is limited to opportunities, and thus lives below the poverty line. 

Over 31 million people face acute food shortages, and about 37% of children are malnourished. The manufacturing sector is faced with inconsistent power supply and inadequate infrastructure, which contributes to 13.9 million youths being unemployed. How then can the most populous black nation attain sustainable development with these limitations?

Overview of Interventions towards Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, Nigeria has shown great commitment towards ensuring that global goals are met within its borders. Various interventions and contributions from the government, private sector and international players attest to this.

A lady holding a rounded object that represents the SDGs during an event of the United Nations
Image Credit: undp.org

The Government

Some interventions by the government include the national SDG implementation plan through policies like the economic recovery and growth plan, the establishment of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs) and Social Investment Programs (SIPs). These SIPs include the N-Power scheme, conditional cash transfers and school feeding programmes, and healthcare initiatives such as the National Health Insurance Authority Act. Environmental efforts such as the Great Green Wall Initiative and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) attest to the government’s dedication, while education initiatives such as the Universal Basic Education Program (UBE) strengthen it.

Private Sector

The private sector has also made immense contributions to achieving the SDGs. Their commitment is visible in technology and innovation through companies like MTN, Flutterwave and Andela through driving digital inclusion and skill development. Renewable energy giant Lumos is enhancing energy access through cleaner sources. 

The agriculture sector is not left out, with companies like Olam and ThriveAgric advancing smart farming and increasing value chain efficiency. PharmAccess is providing telemedicine and health insurance solutions to tackle the healthcare sector. 

Through CSRs, companies like Dangote Group and others are investing in education, healthcare and infrastructure projects. There is also some laudable synergy between the government and the private sector. The Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) is a testament to one of those projects. But are these interventions enough to meet the global goals?

The Need for Artificial Intelligence

The United Nations reveals that the global community may not meet the goals of the SDGs by 2030. This is attributed to the pandemic, the escalating effects of climate change and the Russian/Ukrainian war. This brings the need for optimisation of resources and other drastic measures to implement solutions, and this is where AI comes in. 

An AI robot holding a book labelled Ethics and a scale of justice
Image credit: ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu

There is even supporting evidence that AI can support the achievement of 128 targets across the SDGs. Advanced nations, such as the Five Eyes—the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand already have robust AI strategies in this regard.

Current State of Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria

Artificial Intelligence is estimated to double Africa’s Gross Domestic Growth by 2035, and Nigeria is currently opening its doors to reap from this prediction. In 2021, the launch of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) identified AI as one of its eight strategic pillars, and its role in accelerating Nigeria’s digital economy. 

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) established the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) in 2020 to focus on AI research and innovation. The Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) was established in 2023 to provide a legal framework for data protection, which is crucial for AI systems that rely on large datasets. 

In August 2024, NCAIR, in collaboration with NITDA, FMCIDE and other stakeholders, released the first-ever draft copy of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS). Some laudable schemes, such as the inclusion of AI, machine learning, and data science courses at the 3MTT initiative of the FMCIDE, and the new AI Academy of the Ministry of Science and Technology, seek to build the next generation of talents and professionals in this emerging technology. 

The private sector is not folding its sleeves as companies such as the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN), Data Science Nigeria, and the AI in Nigeria (AI-i-Nigeria) are pushing for advancements in this field. RAIN is currently setting the pace for the largest AI and robotics innovators summit in Nigeria in January 2025. AI-i-Nigeria is warming up for its InnovateAI conference in partnership with Interswitch in February 2025. [20-21]

Key Applications of AI for Sustainable Development

Agriculture and Food Security

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that the agriculture sector remains the largest employer of Nigerians as of 2023, with about 25 million people engaging in agriculture, fishing and forestry activities. 

A lady in a farm holding a tablet
Image Credit: facebook.com/aiinnigeria

This sector accounts for 30.1% of the country’s workforce. AI can leverage this manpower and help solve Nigeria’s problem of acute food shortages and child malnutrition through its application in:

• Identification of early signs of crop diseases using image recognition
• Detection of health issues in fish and other aquatic animals using computer vision
• Precision farming recommendations based on soil and weather patterns
• Optimisation of the irrigation system to conserve water resources

Healthcare Access and Delivery

In the healthcare sector, AI can show great potential through:

• Predictive models for disease outbreak monitoring
• Diagnostic support systems for rural healthcare workers
• Telemedicine platforms enhanced by AI for remote consultations
• Optimization of medical supply chains and resource allocation

Education and Skills Development

AI can improve the education sector through:

• Natural language processing for local language education
• Personalized learning platforms adapted to individual student needs
• Automated assessment systems to reduce teacher workload
• Virtual tutoring systems for remote learning support

Environmental Sustainability

AI can ensure environmental protection through:

• Monitoring and predicting environmental degradation
• Optimizing renewable energy systems
• Managing waste collection and recycling programs
• Tracking and reducing carbon emissions

Case Studies

PlantVillage's Nuru is an AI assistant designed and developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Pennsylvania State University, USA, to detect early signs of cassava diseases in Kenya. 

Nuru uses a mobile phone's camera and machine learning algorithms to accurately recognize leaves damaged by two important viral diseases (Cassava Mosaic Disease and Cassava Brown Streak Disease) and damage caused by red and green mites. 

A farmer checking for disease on a plant with Nuru
Image Credit: iita.org

One beautiful feature of this product is that it can speak four languages (English, French, Swahili and Twi), breaking the language barrier. Another amazing feature is that it can work without the internet. As of 2023, Nuru already has over 10,000 users with a success rate of 50%. 

In the words of PlantVillage Associate Director in Kenya, Lawrence Ombwayo:

“In Kenya, pests and diseases have historically been a major threat to crop production. PlantVillage Nuru’s AI algorithms have enabled farmers to identify and manage these threats more effectively, leading to about 50% reduction in crop losses due to pests and diseases,” says Ombwayo.

From Kaduna State to close-by Ghana, and far-away Rwanda, Zipline is another AI-powered drone logistics company that is transforming the public health sector in Africa. In Nigeria, Zipline has delivered more than 300,000 doses of vaccines from its hub in Kaduna State, an area with one of the highest rates of zero-dose children in the country. 

A zipline in transit, delivering medical supplies
Image Credit: techcabal.com

The Ghanaian government, on the other hand, employed Zipline to deliver nearly 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. In Rwanda, Zipline is transporting lightweight, urgently needed lifesaving medical supplies, literally saving lives.

Challenges and Barriers

The Digital Divide and Infrastructure Limitations

Statista reports that the number of internet service users in Nigeria as of 2024 is about 97 million. This is not even half of the population, and it represents the limitation of resources such as poor internet service, power and telecommunication inefficiencies, especially in rural areas. 

Another infrastructure issue is the low availability of data centres. In Nigeria, there are currently about 10 data centres, with 8 data centre service providers. This is quite low compared to South Africa, which has about 40 data centres, or the United States, with over 2000.

Data Availability and Quality

Data is a major setback to AI development in Nigeria, as there are few available datasets for building machine learning models. Time and time again, you see data scientists and researchers going to organisations like the National Population Commission (NPC), National Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Discos, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), etc., to get data. 

But gets disappointed as either the data is not available, or the organization refuses to give it out. The integrity of these data is another issue. How are these data collected? How relevant are the datasets? Is the collection methodology ethical? And lastly, what are the privacy concerns? These issues must be addressed.

Human Capital Development

Building AI capacity requires addressing issues such as the shortage of AI specialists and data scientists, which is a very significant problem due to the limited AI education in Nigeria. The number of qualified professionals in the field we have is brain-drained, which brings another problem of reskilling and upskilling programmes.

Strategic Recommendations

All roads lead to a National AI Strategy (NAIS), which thankfully is already in the works. Going through the draft copy of NAIS and the quality of professionals behind it. It is safe to say it is robust and can position Nigeria as a leader in this field. However, the implementation of this strategy is a concern. Nigeria’s inconsistency in following policies to the letter due to political instability and change of government poses a threat to full adoption.

A cover of Nigeria's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy
Image Credit: aiexpoafrica.com

The government should create incentives for AI research and development. More schemes like the AI fund for startups, the Green AI challenge and grant programme should be regular events. This will support local AI-powered startups and push innovation while creating employment opportunities. These incentives should not stop with funding; they should also include access to datasets, data centres, acceleration programmes, workshops, introduction to stakeholders, and, most especially, foster public-private partnerships.

AI innovations should be tailored to Nigeria’s uniqueness. For instance, AI solutions that can work without the internet, like Nuru, should be prioritized. Another feature of this example that should be implemented is the support of various languages. Imagine an AI solution that speaks English, Pidgin, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. Such a product will have more impact as more people will use it.

Infrastructure investments should be prioritised in the power and telecommunications sectors. This investment should work towards improving broadband coverage, supporting local data centre development and investing in cloud computing. Investments in education and capacity building should also be prioritised. Through the integration of AI and data science into school curricula, the establishment of specialised AI research centres, the development of industry-academia partnerships, and the development of continuous learning programs for professionals.

Conclusion

Nigeria stands in a good position to become a global leader in the application of AI towards enhancing sustainable development in Africa. However, the hurdles of the digital divide, infrastructure limitations, data unavailability and lack of specialised manpower pose a threat to attaining this feat.

Through coordinated efforts between the government, private sector, and educational institutions, and commitment to following the national AI strategy and meeting timelines, Nigeria can build a robust AI ecosystem that drives sustainable development across multiple sectors.