G-STIC: Federal Government Moves To Strengthen Nigeria’s Innovation Capacity Through AI

The Federal Government has taken significant steps to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation capacity through the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ecosystem in order to accelerate the country’s development in the global digital transformation era.

This was the focus of a two-day conference on The Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Community (G-STIC) and Masterclass on Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem, Systems Thinking and System Dynamics that commenced at the National Assembly Library, Abuja, on Tuesday.

This year’s conference with the theme, “Powering the Next Generation of Innovation,” was organised by the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) and the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), under the supervision of the Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology (FMIST).

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Esuabana Nko-Asanye, in her remarks, noted that the conference presents a unique opportunity to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem, build the nation’s artificial intelligence capacity, and integrate systems thinking into policymaking and development planning processes.

She said, “Through this G-STIC platform, we are part of a global community working to fast-track the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by applying advanced technologies, strategic foresight, and innovation-based solutions.

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming every sector-agriculture, health, education, energy, and governance. It has the potential to optimize production, predict climate risks, enhance policy efficiency, and create entirely new forms of value in the digital economy.”

She noted, however, that beyond the technology itself, what makes AI truly transformative is the mindset and systems thinking that guide its application. She added that Systems Thinking fosters the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental systems and enables the nation to design policies and programs that are not only technically sound, but also socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

She assured that the government is implementing bold initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s national innovation system through evidence-based policies and inter-agency collaboration.

She added that the government is supporting the development of a robust AI ecosystem in Nigeria through the ongoing National Artificial Intelligence Strategy framework, while promoting technology incubation and commercialization through the NBTI network.

She stressed that the government is driving climate action and green innovation through institutions like NACETEM, which are aligning national STI priorities with the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

Director General of NACETEM, Dr Olushola Odusanya , in his remarks said Nigeria can harness the opportunity to address complex national and regional challenges in energy, food systems, healthcare, education, governance, and climate change.

He said “Artificial Intelligence is no longer an abstract concept; it is transforming industries, creating new business models, and redefining how nations compete and collaborate. Meanwhile, Systems Thinking and Systems Dynamics are enabling governments and institutions to understand complex interactions, design more coherent policies, and anticipate systemic risks.”

He added that the conference was aimed to strengthen Nigeria’s role in the global AI and Systems Thinking ecosystem – ensuring that researchers, policymakers, and industries are not left behind in shaping the fourth industrial revolution.

According to him, the conference also demonstrates cross-sectoral applications of AI, Systems Thinking, and Systems Dynamics in addressing pressing challenges in energy access, agriculture, health, education, and climate resilience.

“It also provides a national platform for policy dialogue and knowledge co-creation, bringing together legislators, government agencies, private innovators, and development partners to forge strategies that accelerate the achievement of the SDGs,” he said.

The Director General of NBTI Kazeem Kolawola Raji said the agency aligns with Nigeria’s development strides in all sectors stressing that the agency is also investing to harness the talents of the youth in educational institutions to boost their innovative and technological skills.

The conference was designed to strengthen collaboration between government, industry, academia, and civil society, while creating enabling policies that foster innovation and technology entrepreneurship to champion the acceleration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria.