The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has announced a significant revitalization of the dormant National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) to aid in the transformation of Nigeria’s digital landscape. The refurbished center aims to enhance the country’s research and development efforts in rapidly advancing technologies like AI, Robotics, and IoT.
The relaunch of NCAIR follows claims made by the former Minister for Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, that the center was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari. Despite differing arguments, the objective remains the same: to convert the country into a technological hub and promote innovation in the digital realm.
Under the leadership of Dr. Bosun Tijani, NCAIR has undergone significant enhancements and is sponsored by technology giant Cisco. The center’s capacity has grown, with over 2,500 virtual CPUs and one petabyte of storage provided. These reforms aim to empower local researchers and startups and facilitate the implementation of AI in various government sectors.
Additionally, NCAIR will oversee the management of new computational infrastructure for national interest projects and academic research. An AI laboratory has also been established to bolster AI research projects in both the public and private sectors, fostering collaboration and innovation in this field.
A major development is the establishment of AI hubs and pods across the country, enabling remote access to NCAIR’s high-performance computing power. This project aims to decentralize technology innovation, making it accessible to all regions and promoting inclusivity in Nigeria’s AI ecosystem.
Furthermore, NCAIR has embraced open reporting and scholarly publication of all research projects undertaken, fostering accountability and knowledge sharing within the research community. The resurgence of NCAIR aligns with the achievements of the Ministry’s National AI Workshop, which served as a platform for consensus-building on Nigeria’s AI strategy. One notable achievement was the development of the country’s first Multilingual GPT-2-like Language Model, a milestone in linguistic research and development.
Nigeria has not only aligned its National AI Strategy through collaborative work with over 120 AI experts but has also forged key partnerships to enhance its AI journey. This progress demonstrates Nigeria’s determination to leverage technological innovation for sustained growth and development.
This article was originally published as a press release by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.
