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The Nigerian government’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled plans to establish research centers focused on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain across the country’s six geopolitical zones.&nbsp;
<a href="https://nairametrics.com/2024/07/03/fg-to-establish-ai-blockchain-research-centres-in-nigerias-six-geo-political-zones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">According</a> to local media, the initiative was announced by NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, during the opening of the IoT West Africa Conference and Exibition in Lagos. Inuwa, represented by NITDA’s Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Aristotle Onumo, emphasized the agency’s commitment to developing a strong technology research ecosystem.
<h3 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="research-centers-to-drive-innovation">Research centers to drive innovation</h3>
The planned research centers will target critical areas, including IoT, blockchain technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), additive manufacturing, AI and robotics. Inuwa said:
<blockquote data-ct-non-breakable="true">
 “We are establishing a special-purpose vehicle that will look into these key areas and also establish research centers across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria that will be targeting these six key areas of emerging technologies.”
</blockquote>
In addition to funding research, NITDA aims to support Nigerian startups in developing products using emerging technologies. The agency plans to create innovation sandboxes to help startups develop use cases, establish businesses and bring their products to market. 
NITDA is also pivotal in building talent through the Nigerian government’s <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/nigeria-3mtt-program-1m-applicants-ai-course">3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program</a>. The goal is for three million Nigerians to be technically trained and empowered by 2027.
<h3 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="africa-s-next-silicon-valley">Africa’s next Silicon Valley</h3>
Inuwa acknowledged that some trained individuals might leave the country, contributing to Nigeria’s talent exports and boosting foreign exchange through increased remittances. Shitij Taneja, managing director of Vertex Next, the organizers of the IoT West Africa Conference and Exhibition, highlighted Nigeria’s potential as “Africa’s next Silicon Valley.”
Related:&nbsp;<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/search?query=AI#:~:text=Nigerian%20official%20advocates,illicit%20financial%20flows">Nigerian official advocates blockchain, AI against illicit financial flows</a>
He cited the country’s vast youth population and vibrant startup ecosystem as crucial factors. The conference, co-located with Africa Data Center and Cloud Expo Africa, aims to attract investors to Nigerian startups focused on emerging technologies.
The United States and Nigeria recently announced intentions to <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/usa-to-forge-ai-partnership-with-nigeria-for-economic-growth">engage in discussions on the digital economy</a>, emerging technology and AI to explore potential partnership opportunities. These discussions aim to strengthen economic ties between the two countries and foster deeper collaborations in these areas. 
The Nigerian government has also launched its <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/nigeria-launches-first-multilingual-large-language-model-in-africa">first multilingual large language model</a>&nbsp;as it pushes to take a leadership position in AI development in Africa. 
Magazine:&nbsp;<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/?s=AI#:~:text=Features%20Longevity%20expert%3A%20AI%20will%20help%20us%20become%20%E2%80%98biologically%20immortal%E2%80%99%20from%202030">Longevity expert: AI will help us become ‘biologically immortal’ from 2030</a>

Nigeria plans nationwide AI and blockchain research centers

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