The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged Nigeria and other African nations to fully harness the potential of artificial intelligence through strategic investments.

She made this call at the 10th convocation ceremony of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) Class of 2024 in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala spoke on ‘Artificial Intelligence and frontier technologies: Harnessing opportunities and tackling challenges to drive Africa’s development.’’

She emphasised the need for investments in infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and digital literacy to empower the youth.

“We need investments in basic infrastructure, first and foremost, investments in regulatory frameworks, in digital literacy, in upskilling our young people, in creating businesses, appropriate business ecosystems, and more. But I’m confident that with foresight and careful planning for implementation, Nigeria and Africa can do it. In fact, we must do it because we don’t have a choice. And I’m happy the effort has begun and AUST has put itself in the vanguard of this movement. Let’s be creative about partnerships in academia, technology, and the private sector that can help move us forward,’’ she said.

She noted the economic potential of AI, noting that it could boost global economic activity by $15.7 trillion, or roughly 15 per cent by 2030.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala added that while AI growth was often associated with industrialised nations, the global South, including Africa, stood to benefit greatly.

“Universities like AUST have a big role to play in thinking about what AI means for the development of Nigeria and the continent as a whole and how we can capitalise on the opportunities whilst managing the risks. There are important questions here: What kind of infrastructure is needed for people across Africa and across Nigeria to benefit from the AI revolution? What kind of skills do we need to foster? What kind of investments do governments need to make on the opportunity side of the ladder?.

“AI promises to be useful in addressing challenges that have bedevilled Nigeria’s economic progress for decades, “she said.

Addressing the graduating class, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala urged them to embrace innovation and lifelong learning.

“You graduates are not just beneficiaries of this transformation, but you’re also among its architects. As you leave the halls of this university, I urge you to embrace lifelong learning, innovation, and a commitment to building solutions that address local and global challenges. Never stop striving for excellence,” she added.

Keynote Speaker and Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, highlighted the role of AI in improving transparency and access to services.

She emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships and ongoing stakeholder engagement to enhance Nigeria’s identity registration system.

“Public-private partnerships can also play a vital role in building confidence and improving access to enrollment services across Nigeria’s diverse regions. Furthermore, NIMC continues to expand infrastructure and technological capabilities to facilitate seamless enrollment and service delivery.

“The deployment of mobile enrollment units, online platforms, and enhancement of biometric verification systems has shown promising results so far.

“To accelerate the enrollment process, NIMC has also invested in further scaling these technologies, ensuring that rural and underserved populations are included,” she said.

AUST President Peter Onwualu pledged to establish centres of excellence across Africa to combat brain drain and produce technology-driven graduates equipped with AI, data science, and entrepreneurial skills.

“Our dream remains to produce industry-ready graduates with technology-driven skills and students that are competent in the hard skills of their disciplines and soft skills using project-based learning, outcome-based learning, and critical thinking approaches. The curriculum of every programme in the university is being modified to embrace knowledge of artificial intelligence, data sciences, and entrepreneurship in the training of students,” he said.

The convocation ceremony witnessed the award of postgraduate diplomas, master’s degrees, PhDs, and honorary doctorates to 58 students.

Notable recipients of honorary awards included Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, chairman of TETFund; George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and Oliver Alawuba, group managing director of UBA.

(NAN)