Nigeria launches new report urging locally driven AI development

Nigeria’s Goalkeepers community, in partnership with Gatefield, has launched a report calling for artificial intelligence development in Nigeria to prioritise local needs, indigenous data, and equitable access to technology. The report is titled Make This Matter and serves as a Nigerian-focused synthesis of the global 2026 Goalkeepers Report.

Sector Focus and Healthcare Challenges

The report examines how AI could address gaps in critical sectors, including healthcare, education, and agriculture, while warning against an approach that leaves technological development primarily to market forces. According to the report, AI development driven solely by market interests could prioritise wealthy, English-speaking urban populations at the expense of underserved communities. It identifies the next 12 to 18 months as a critical period to ensure AI technologies are developed to address Nigerians’ needs rather than marketed to them. The report was launched following an initial engagement with technology ecosystem leaders at the Moonshot event in Lagos last week. It cited Nigeria’s healthcare workforce shortage, noting that the country has one doctor for every 2,500 people, compared with one doctor for every 200 people in high-income countries. The report proposed using AI to reduce routine administrative tasks and support patient triage, potentially easing pressure on overstretched healthcare workers.

Local Data and Innovators

The report stressed the importance of developing AI systems using locally relevant datasets and governance frameworks that protect Nigeria’s data sovereignty. Such systems should support Nigerian languages, including Pidgin, to improve accessibility and ensure that technological solutions reflect the country’s linguistic and social realities. The initiative also plans to identify and promote more than 25 Nigerian AI innovators, researchers, and technology developers whose work is already addressing development challenges. Among the initiatives highlighted are mDoc, through its Kem AI platform, Schoola, and Curri AI. The initiative will seek to connect these innovators with public-sector institutions and philanthropic funders to support the expansion of proven AI solutions into state-level public systems. The report is available at makethismatter.ng.