Nigeria needs AI-Skilled civil service to drive productivity

Nigeria’s minister of communications and digital economy, Bosun Tijani, has said that developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-skilled civil service is essential to scaling up productivity and service delivery across government agencies.

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Mr Tijani made the statement on Thursday at the launch of a Google-backed AI training programme for public servants, held in partnership with Apolitical, a global learning platform for government officials.

The initiative aims to equip government workers with the proficiency required to apply AI responsibly and effectively in the public sector.

“We see Artificial Intelligence as a major driver of productivity across our key sectors. 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,” the minister said at the event held in Abuja.

The programme, titled: “Government AI Campus” is implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

A research by Apolitical shows that even though 72 per cent of government leaders globally are running AI pilots, more than half of them lack a comprehensive strategy for adoption. The organisation estimates that every dollar invested in AI has the potential to add more than eight dollars to the economy, highlighting the importance of building AI literacy within the public service.

The programme is targeting Nigerian public servants across ministries, departments and agencies as part of Google’s broader commitment to train one million government workers globally on AI skills.

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The idea is to draw the government workers from different countries including Nigeria, Brazil, Kenya, and Ghana, while admitting as many interested Nigerian participants as possible.

Participants will have access to online training covering AI fundamentals, leadership and implementation, expert-led events, tools and frameworks that can help them apply AI knowledge within their roles.

They will also receive training that encompasses AI fundamentals, leadership applications and practical tools, which will help integrate AI in policy and service delivery.

Olumide Balogun, Google’s West Africa Director, said the partnership reflects the company’s belief that investing in people is critical to Nigeria’s digital transformation.

“Championing Nigeria’s digital transformation means investing in the people who shape its future,” he said.

“By working hand-in-hand with public sector leaders and practitioners, we are not only providing technical resources but sharing knowledge that empowers them to deliver better, more efficient government services.”

The vice president of Apolitical, Chris Ferguson, described the initiative as a pioneering effort to strengthen governance and build confidence among public servants by adopting new technologies.

“Structured training is the cornerstone for successful AI adoption in government,” he said.

“This initiative is a pioneering effort that will equip Nigerian public servants with the capabilities to lead the digital transformation with confidence and foresight.”

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According to Adewolu Adene, Google’s government affairs manager for West Africa, the training aligns with Nigeria’s national AI strategy and is structured to achieve AI literacy across all the levels of government.

He went further to say that Google’s objective is to make technology accessible not only to the private sector but also to policymakers.

Bringing the Apolitical Government AI Campus to Nigeria is part of Google’s efforts to expand AI adoption and digital skills across the country. A similar initiative by the company, called the “3 Million Technical Talent programme,” is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Government and aims to strengthen the country’s digital workforce.