Nigeria must leverage digital leadership in foreign policy, says minister

Nigeria has established itself as West Africa’s digital powerhouse, and its growing strength in technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity must form a central pillar of the nation’s foreign policy, Communications Minister Bosun Tijani has said.

Speaking on Tuesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Second Seminar on Anticipatory, Cyber and Digital Diplomacy in Abuja, Tijani noted that global statecraft is moving beyond traditional measures of power such as military size or economic scale.

“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,” Tijani stated.

Infrastructure and artificial intelligence leadership

Highlighting Nigeria’s regional tech dominance, the minister noted that the country remains the only nation in West Africa operating its own communications satellites and hosting the highest density of subsea internet cables, positioning it as the region’s primary data hub.

Tijani also outlined major national advancements in artificial intelligence:

• National AI Governance: The Federal Executive Council has approved the creation of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and regulatory frameworks for emerging technology.
• Localized AI Models: Nigeria has built the first government-backed large language model designed to process major indigenous languages—including Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Ibibio—alongside accented English.
• Global Recognition: A University of Cambridge research group recently ranked Nigeria top in Africa for responsible AI deployment, a milestone Tijani attributed to targeted regulatory policies.
• Skills Development: The government’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme has trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians, with international partners aiding job placements.

To secure digital assets, Tijani announced the launch of a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity to coordinate threat intelligence between public and private sectors.

Institutionalizing digital statecraft

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye told participants that rapid technological shifts led to the establishment of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the ministry following the inaugural 2025 seminar.

Enikanolaiye urged Nigerian diplomats to adopt proactive strategies and build digital competencies to safeguard national interests in global forums.

Echoing these points, Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group, noted that while the initial 2025 seminar focused on raising awareness, the current edition centers on practical execution, training diplomats to manage international relations within cyberspace and leverage digital tools for statecraft.