Use AI-driven Manufacturing To Reduce Waste, Cut Costs – Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric has reiterated the significant impact that AI-driven manufacturing can have on Nigeria’s industrial growth, emphasising its role in boosting efficiency and sustainability.

Speaking on the future of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, Schneider Electric’s country president for Anglophone West Africa, Ajibola Akindele, said: “Three transformative trends are emerging as key enablers of this dual pursuit of profitability and sustainability — electrification, digital transformation, and circularity. These are no longer buzzwords but practical necessities for Nigerian manufacturers seeking to stay competitive and future-ready.”

When combined with intelligent energy management, Schneider Electric believes that AI-enabled automation will help manufacturers minimise waste, cut costs, and reduce energy usage. However, realising this vision requires investment in local infrastructure, particularly AI-ready modular data centres to support increased data processing demands.

“As AI adoption accelerates across Nigerian industries, businesses face an exponential increase in data processing needs. This has placed immense pressure on traditional data centre infrastructure, creating a growing demand for scalable energy-efficient solutions,” added Akindele.

Industry players said that Nigeria’s current manufacturing landscape, which is marred by persistent energy challenges and gaps in digital infrastructure, must be addressed through investments in electrification and prefabricated data centres, digital transformation of factories and supply chains, upskilling of local talent in AI, automation and energy systems, and public-private collaboration to create enabling policies and incentives.

Schneider Electric also advocates  a regenerative manufacturing model where energy efficiency, circular design and digital innovation intersect to drive long-term growth.