Recently, social media conversations about artificial intelligence and technology gained momentum after DeepSeek, a Chinese startup, unveiled an AI model comparable to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. What made DeepSeek-R1 particularly interesting was its relatively low development cost—achieved with just millions of dollars, a fraction of the multibillion-dollar budgets enjoyed by US tech giants. Before this, DeepSeek was virtually unknown in Nigeria, having only been founded in 2023. Yet, as a country with an active online community, Nigerians eagerly joined the conversation, questioning where Nigeria stands in global AI and tech advancements.
Nigeria is home to several successful tech unicorns like Flutterwave, Chipper Cash, and Moniepoint, but when it comes to innovations at the level of AI, the country lags behind. This isn’t surprising. Systemic failures have made it difficult for innovation to thrive, forcing many of the nation’s brightest minds to seek opportunities elsewhere. Despite young people making up 70% of Nigeria’s population, the barriers to innovation remain deeply entrenched, stifling progress in multiple ways.
One of the biggest obstacles is education. In leading tech nations like the US and China, undergraduates actively participate in research that contributes to major technological advancements. The DeepSeek team, for instance, benefited from an ecosystem where students and researchers collaborate with companies to tackle real-world problems. In contrast, Nigeria’s public university system prioritizes rote memorization over practical skills. Many students study outdated materials and graduate without hands-on experience in cutting-edge technology. Learning environments are often inadequate—overcrowded classrooms, outdated curricula, and frequent academic disruptions caused by strikes from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) set students back by months or even years. Without a solid academic foundation that encourages innovation, Nigeria remains unprepared to compete on the global tech stage.
Infrastructure is another critical challenge. AI development requires reliable internet access, stable electricity, and a supportive policy framework—all of which are lacking in Nigeria. Broadband penetration is low, making internet access expensive and unreliable in many regions. Electricity supply remains erratic, forcing businesses and individuals to rely on generators and inverters. Running a tech startup in such conditions is incredibly difficult, let alone an AI research lab that requires high-performance computing. A co-working space in Osogbo, for example, frequently shuts off generators at intervals just to save on fuel costs—an inconvenience that makes deep-tech research nearly impossible.
Beyond infrastructure, government support for technology-driven industries remains weak. While Nigerian officials frequently talk about AI and digital transformation, meaningful policies and investments are lacking. In 2023, the Minister for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, initiated a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) Workshop aimed at formulating an AI strategy tailored to Nigeria’s needs. However, as critics pointed out, the strategy lacked actionable plans, clear funding mechanisms, and concrete implementation steps. The Three Million Tech Talent (3MTT) program was launched to train young Nigerians in technology, but without proper infrastructure and long-term investments, such initiatives risk becoming performative rather than transformative.
The lack of a robust tech ecosystem has led to a massive talent drain. Many of Nigeria’s best engineers, researchers, and developers are leaving the country for better opportunities abroad. The UK’s Global Talent Visa, among other migration schemes, has become a popular escape route. These professionals don’t necessarily want to leave Nigeria—they leave because they see no future in a country that doesn’t invest in them. Countries like Canada, the US, and the UK, on the other hand, actively welcome and nurture Nigerian tech talent, providing them with research funding, high-quality infrastructure, and an enabling environment. This brain drain further weakens Nigeria’s ability to compete globally.
Nigeria’s absence in global AI conversations is not inevitable. Experts like Sultan Quadri and Ryan Uche-Tasie have proposed five key recommendations for Nigeria to build its AI ecosystem: developing foundational infrastructure, creating a sustainable talent pipeline, leveraging data for growth, strengthening digital governance, and complementing private-sector innovation. These are necessary steps, but they require a shift in priorities at the national level.
Before Nigeria can claim relevance in AI, it must first fix its foundational issues. The United States didn’t emerge as a tech superpower overnight; it built strong infrastructure, ensured stable electricity, and invested in education and research. Creativity and innovation thrive in environments where people don’t have to worry about power outages or poor internet access. If Nigeria is serious about AI, it must take urgent action. Universities must be restructured to encourage research, reliable electricity must be prioritized, and internet access must be made more affordable.
Despite these challenges, some Nigerians are still pushing forward. Innovators like Azeez Saheed, who created YarnGPT—a Nigerian-accented text-to-speech AI—are finding ways to build within the country. But isolated success stories are not enough. Nigeria must create an ecosystem where more young innovators can thrive, ensuring that the next groundbreaking AI model could just as easily come from Lagos or Abuja as it does from Silicon Valley or Beijing.
