Ariel view of Port Harcourt City in Nigeria (Pixabay)

Introduction

The Federal Republic of Nigeria, in West Africa, is the most populous country on that continent. It covers an area of 923,769 square kilometres (356,669 sq. mi). With over 230 million people, it is the world's sixth-most populous country (Wikipedia).
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize industries and societies around the world. However, for nations like Nigeria to fully harness the potential of AI, they must first overcome fundamental digital divides and barriers to technology adoption.

The Research ICT Africa, After Access Survey

The latest After Access Survey from Research ICT Africa, provides valuable insights into Nigeria's current digital landscape and the obstacles that may impact the future implementation and uptake of AI in the country.
The key findings from Research ICT Africa's 2022 After Access survey for Nigeria, include:

• Only 32% of Nigerian adults use the internet, despite growth in internet infrastructure. This is significantly lower than official estimates.
• The main barriers to internet access are lack of digital skills (23%), lack of access devices (22%), and lack of awareness (17%). Cost has become a more prominent barrier at 14%.
• Gender and geographic inequalities in internet access persist, with men having 54% higher access than women, and urban areas 75% higher access than rural areas.
• For internet users, the main uses are social media (98%), entertainment (72%), news (66%), and digital financial services (46%).
• Financial inclusion reached 47% in 2022, mainly driven by increased bank account ownership rather than mobile money.
• 3.8% of adults engaged in platform work in 2022, up from 2.9% in 2018. Lack of digital skills is the main barrier to greater participation.
• Internet and smartphone adoption among microenterprises remains very low at 14% and 28% respectively, with significant gender gaps.

Implications for Artificial Intelligence

The Research ICT Africa report does not directly discuss artificial intelligence (AI), but some potential implications for AI adoption in Nigeria can be inferred from the findings:

• Low internet and digital technology adoption could hinder AI adoption, especially among individuals and microenterprises. The lack of digital skills, access devices, and awareness identified as major barriers to internet use could similarly impede the effective utilization of AI technologies.
• The persistent gender and geographic inequalities in internet access suggest that AI adoption could be uneven, further exacerbating existing digital divides if not addressed through targeted policies and programs.
• The relatively higher internet usage and digital financial services adoption provides some foundation to build AI applications and services in areas like fintech, financial inclusion, and mobile banking/payments.
• The growth of platform work, while still low, indicates a technology-engaged workforce that could potentially leverage AI tools and solutions for gig economy/freelance work.
• Policy recommendations around developing affordable devices, digital literacy, locally relevant content/applications, and supportive regulations could facilitate an enabling environment for home-grown AI innovation and adoption if extended to AI.

Conclusions

As Nigeria looks to embrace emerging technologies like AI, it must confront the stark digital inequalities revealed in this report. Lack of infrastructure, skills, and awareness are preventing millions from meaningful internet participation - a prerequisite for benefiting from AI applications and services.
Thoughtful policies targeting affordable access, digital literacy, and locally relevant content could help level the playing field. While AI's possibilities are vast, from fintech to gig work, ensuring inclusive and ethical AI adoption aligned with societal needs should be the priority. With a coherent strategy addressing the fundamental barriers highlighted, Nigeria can lay a strong foundation to realize the transformative economic and social impacts of the AI revolution. The path forward requires a wholistic national approach rooted in the realities on the ground today.
The Research ICT Africa report titled "After Access 2023: Digital Nigeria Post the Pandemic," can be downloaded from researchictafrica.net