Nigeria has consolidated its position as the leading digital economy in West Africa, with the Federal Government declaring that the country’s expanding digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence capabilities and cybersecurity initiatives must now form a central pillar of its foreign policy.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, made the assertion on Tuesday at the Second Seminar on Anticipatory, Cyber and Digital Diplomacy organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
The seminar, themed “From Awareness to Activation: Operationalising AI, Cyber and Digital Statecraft for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy,” attracted diplomats, policymakers and technology experts to deliberate on Nigeria’s evolving role in the global digital ecosystem.
Speaking at the event, Tijani said diplomacy in the modern era is increasingly shaped by digital capacity rather than the traditional indicators of national strength.
“I think all of us can testify to the fact that digital is now a major part of our lives in everything we do, and that’s the case for nations as well. So diplomacy in itself is shifting away from just how big your country is, the size of your economy or defence. It’s coming towards digital,” he said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s strategic advantages, the minister noted that the country remains unmatched in West Africa in digital infrastructure, placing it in a commanding position within the region.
“We’re the only country in the West African region with its own communication satellites; we’re the only country in the West African region with the highest number of subsea cables,” he said.
According to Tijani, Nigeria’s growing status as the region’s data hub has made it a critical destination for global technology companies while strengthening its influence across neighbouring countries.
“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.
As part of efforts to strengthen the country’s cyber resilience, Tijani disclosed that the Federal Government has established a Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity to deepen collaboration between government institutions and private sector stakeholders in tackling emerging cyber threats.
He explained that government is also prioritising the protection of critical digital assets, including fibre-optic networks, communication satellites and subsea internet cables, through a resilience-driven security framework.
On artificial intelligence, the minister said Nigeria is rapidly positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading AI innovators.
He revealed that the country recently emerged as Africa’s highest-ranked nation for responsible artificial intelligence in an assessment conducted by a University of Cambridge research group, attributing the recognition to deliberate government policies promoting innovation while safeguarding national interests.
Tijani also announced that Nigeria has successfully developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.
“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.
He further disclosed that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to coordinate investments and provide governance for the country’s expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem.
The minister also highlighted progress under the government’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, revealing that close to 300,000 young Nigerians have already received digital skills training across all local government areas.
“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technologies were fundamentally transforming diplomacy and international relations.
He disclosed that last year’s inaugural seminar led to the creation of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.
Enikanolaiye urged participants to produce practical recommendations capable of strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic architecture and enhancing the country’s global competitiveness in the digital age.
He stressed that effective anticipatory diplomacy requires stronger institutions, improved digital capacity and sustained collaboration among government agencies, academia, technology professionals and international partners.
The minister added that the ministry remains committed to equipping Nigerian diplomats with the digital skills required to project the country’s interests effectively on the global stage.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, explained that the gathering was designed to prepare Nigeria for the diplomatic implications of rapidly evolving technologies.
“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.
Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy centres on managing relations among nations within cyberspace, while digital diplomacy focuses on deploying digital platforms to advance Nigeria’s strategic interests internationally.
He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 concentrated on raising awareness, this year’s programme is focused on translating those discussions into practical implementation.
(Ripples)