FG, Gates Foundation Launch $7.5m Nigerian AI Scaling Hub
By peterside Rejoice Eneky
The Federal Government of Nigeria has signed a $7.5 million partnership agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish the Nigerian Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scaling Hub, a national initiative aimed at accelerating the deployment of AI solutions across critical sectors including healthcare, agriculture, and education.
The agreement was finalized during a high-level meeting in Abuja between Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, and Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, alongside members of the Gates Foundation team.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Tijani hailed the initiative as a transformative step for Nigeria, positioning the country as a continental leader in AI innovation.
“This moment means a lot, personally and nationally,” Tijani said. “I’m grateful for the trust, collaboration, and shared belief that Nigeria can lead not just in adopting technology, but in shaping it to solve real problems.”
While detailed plans for the hub will be unveiled in the coming months, the minister stressed that the focus will be on “practical, people-focused impact that brings AI out of labs and into farms, clinics, and classrooms.”
According to the Gates Foundation, the $7.5 million funding will support infrastructure development, local talent cultivation, and pilot projects that apply AI to tackle local development challenges.
Bill Gates, currently on a multi-country tour of Africa, reiterated the Foundation’s long-term commitment to innovation-led development across the continent.
“I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years,” Gates said during a prior stop in Ethiopia. “The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa.”
He emphasized that the Foundation is prioritizing partnerships with governments that are “serious about using innovation to improve the lives of their citizens.”
As part of his visit to Nigeria, Gates is scheduled to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and attend the Goalkeepers Nigeria event, which will highlight local breakthroughs in AI and primary healthcare.
A statement from the Gates Foundation noted that the visit comes at a critical time, as global aid patterns shift and African nations take on greater responsibility for domestic
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