Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), says Nigeria can reap major rewards from artificial intelligence (AI) if proactive.
Okonjo-Iweala spoke at the 10th convocation ceremony of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja on Tuesday.
In her keynote address, the economist said Nigeria and three other African countries could reap significant economic benefits worth $136 billion from AI.
The WTO DG, citing a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, said AI is projected to boost global economic activity by $15.7 trillion by 2030, with significant benefits for the global south, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa.
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“These are four countries who are making strides in technology, and I’m glad Nigeria is fully one of them,” Okonjo-Iweala said.
“If Nigeria could get it right, her economy could reap major rewards.
Okonjo-Iweala said universities like AUST have a big role to play in thinking about what AI means for the development of Nigeria and the African continent, and how “we can capitalise on the opportunities whilst managing the risks”.
She said AI can address Nigeria’s long-standing development challenges such as education, healthcare, agriculture, finance, energy, infrastructure, among others.
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