Nigeria launches AI equity report, urges locally driven technology development

Nigeria’s Goalkeepers community, in partnership with Gatefield, has launched a report calling for artificial intelligence (AI) development in Nigeria to prioritise local needs, indigenous data and equitable access to technology.

The report, titled Make This Matter, is a Nigerian-focused synthesis of the global 2026 Goalkeepers Report. It examines how AI could address gaps in critical sectors, including healthcare, education and agriculture, while warning against an approach that leaves technological development primarily to market forces.

According to the report, AI development driven solely by market interests could prioritise wealthy, English-speaking urban populations at the expense of underserved communities.

It identifies the next 12 to 18 months as a critical period to ensure AI technologies are developed to address Nigerians’ needs rather than marketed to them.

The report was launched following an initial engagement with technology ecosystem leaders at the Moonshot event in Lagos last week.

It said the initiative would use evidence from the report to deepen engagements with key stakeholders and advocate for national AI strategies that prioritise digital public infrastructure, access to local computing resources and open indigenous datasets.

One of the report’s focus areas is the use of AI to strengthen frontline systems, particularly healthcare, education and agriculture.

It cited Nigeria’s healthcare workforce shortage, noting that the country has one doctor for every 2,500 people, compared with one doctor for every 200 people in high-income countries.

The report proposed using AI to reduce routine administrative tasks and support patient triage, potentially easing pressure on overstretched healthcare workers.

It also stressed the importance of developing AI systems using locally relevant datasets and governance frameworks that protect Nigeria’s data sovereignty.

Such systems, it said, should support Nigerian languages, including Pidgin, to improve accessibility and ensure that technological solutions reflect the country’s linguistic and social realities.

The initiative also plans to identify and promote more than 25 Nigerian AI innovators, researchers and technology developers whose work is already addressing development challenges.

Among the initiatives highlighted are mDoc, through its Kem AI platform, Schoola and Curri AI.

According to the report, the initiative will seek to connect these innovators with public-sector institutions and philanthropic funders to support the expansion of proven AI solutions into state-level public systems.

It also plans to promote responsible AI adoption through multimedia essays, media partnerships and civic engagement, with particular attention to primary and maternal healthcare, nutrition and foundational learning.

The Nigeria Goalkeepers community said the initiative would position the country to influence how funding and technological innovation could be directed towards addressing inequality and advancing public interest.

The report is available at makethismatter.ng.