By Abdulfatah Babatunde
The CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umaru Danbatta, says Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds the key to driving societal, economic and well-being of African peoples.
Danbatta made the remarks at the opening of the 11th Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition (DACE), held, on Wednesday, in Abuja.
TheNewsZenith reports that the theme of the three-day conference is “Artificial Intelligence and Africa.
“AI holds the power to transform our societies, drive economic growth, and improve the well-being of our people.
“Let us seize this opportunity and work together to build an inclusive, sustainable, and AI-powered Africa,” Danbatta said.
He remarked that the theme “is both timely and significant as it attests to our commitment to harnessing the power of technology to drive economic growth, social development, and innovation across Africa”.
The NCC boss pointed out that AI has emerged as one of the most transformative technologies
“Its potential to revolutionise industries, enhance productivity and improve the quality of life for citizens cannot be overstated.
“I believe that AI will play a pivotal role in shaping Africa’s digital future. There are several examples of AI-powered software in use in our daily lives.
“These include voice assistants, face recognition for unlocking mobile phones, fingerprint biometrics and machine learning-based financial fraud detection.”
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In recent years, he said Africans have witnessed remarkable advancements in AI across various sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, finance, transportation, education, and even governance.
“AI-powered solutions have the potential to address some of Africa’s most pressing challenges, such as limited access to healthcare, food security, financial inclusion and infrastructure development.”
But for Africa to fully embrace the benefits of AI, he said countries must invest in building necessary digital infrastructure. This includes expanding broadband connectivity.
Giving an insight into Nigeria’s achievements in telecom, Danbatta said as of July, broadband penetration stood at 47.01 per cent.
“Also, the continent must commit to ensuring reliable power supply and fostering a conducive regulatory environment.
“Without robust infrastructure, the potential of AI will remain untapped. And the digital divide will further widen.
“We must prioritise digital skills development. AI technologies require a skilled workforce capable of developing, deploying and maintaining these systems,” the NCC boss said.
He stressed the need for African countries to invest in education and training programmes. Such investments, he said, will equip the youth with skills to participate in the AI-driven economy.
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“By nurturing a generation of AI experts, we can elevate Africa’s position in the global AI landscape and create job opportunities for our youth.”
Danbatta also emphasised need for collaboration and partnerships that are crucial in unlocking the potential of AI in Africa.
He advocated collaboration among governments, regulatory bodies, academia, the private sector and civil society.
“By working together, we can share knowledge, pool resources together, and leverage expertise to drive innovation and create an enabling environment for AI adoption.”
Danbatta said NCC would support development and deployment of AI technologies in Nigeria and across the continent.
“We are creating an enabling regulatory framework that promotes innovation while safeguarding the interests of consumers and citizens.
“NCC is also collaborating with stakeholders to establish AI research and development centres, incubation hubs and startup ecosystems to nurture homegrown AI talent,” Danbatta said.
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