Nigeria Integrates AI in Education to Prepare Youth for Global Tech Economy

Nigeria is actively incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its education system to equip its youth with skills for the global tech-driven economy, Arab News reported citing the Minister of State for Education Maruf Tunji Alausa.

Speaking at the Human Capability Initiative (HCI) in Riyadh, Alausa emphasized that AI adoption is essential but must balance technological proficiency with social skill retention.

With Africa’s 1.2 billion population being 60% under 30—and Nigeria’s 220 million people comprising 70% youth—the country aims to leverage this demographic dividend. Annually, 5 million Nigerians enter the workforce, prompting initiatives like a digital training academy to upskill graduates in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. This enables remote work for international firms while retaining talent locally.

Alausa praised Saudi Arabia’s dual-track education model during his visit and announced future Nigeria-Saudi collaborations in skills development. The HCI, attended by 12,000 experts from 100+ countries, highlighted themes like AI-driven workforce transformation and global equity.

Nigeria’s strategy aligns with HCI’s vision of cross-border partnerships to future-proof economies, positioning the nation as a hub for global tech talent. Alausa stressed, “Countries must infuse AI to augment education—but without eroding critical human skills.”