The Minister of Communications Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani says that the grant of N2.8 billion from Google is timely for the renewed hope agenda.
Mr Tijani spoke at the press briefing where Google announced the grant to support the Federal Government’s science lab drive on Thursday in Abuja.
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He said the program would offer the opportunity to train, empower and also place these young people in meaningful jobs.
“This support in particular is timely and extremely important because we all know that at a time and as a nation, we are extremely fortunate to have a president that has taken really difficult decisions.
“These decisions are based on the belief that there are reforms we need to take as a nation to truly move forward, to truly grow our economy, to truly provide opportunities for very youthful population.
“With this support, we can expect that we will have a strong workforce locally for AI, because if it is a global technology, the workforce is required.
“It is required for us to have a good set of young people that are passionate about being part of the global economy.
“We have to give them the skill set that they require to be able to participate in that local economy.”
The Minister said through this program, the government would empower a significant number of public servants just so that they have a good understanding of artificial intelligence.
“What I really find exciting is helping government officials also gain a very strong understanding of what artificial intelligence is all about.”
“So that we do not end up just copying policies that may not be suitable for our reality,” he said.
The President of Google for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Matt Brittin, who announced the grant said it was to grow the digital economy sector of Nigeria.
“AI is transforming industries worldwide, from healthcare to education, to agriculture and to energy.
“At Google, we see this potential every day, and we are committed to using AI responsibly, in ways that benefit the society.
“We know that when used ethically and inclusively, AI can drive real, measurable progress.