Empowering Nigeria's Digital Future: Transformative Insights From InnovateAI Lagos 2024

Ms Chinwe Okoli, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Anambra State on Innovation and Business Incubation, took the stage as one of the distinguished speakers at the InnovateAI Conference Lagos 2024! held on February 23rd, 2024 at Landmark Center, Victoria Island, Lagos.

She shared her valuable insights, expertise, and knowledge during the panel session with the topic "Adapting AI for Nigeria – Building Infrastructure for Success – People, Tech & Regulations."

When asked how the Anambra State government is bridging the gap in skill development in AI to encourage underrepresented groups, she eloquently eulogised and emphasized Mr Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo CFR's commitment to achieving one of his five pillars of the administration: human capital development which is hinged on the mantra "Everything Technology, Technology Everywhere.

Through the Solution Innovation District, Mr Governor is raising the Anambra Digital Tribe- people empowered with skills in emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. She explained the end goal is to raise innovation drivers as we push towards actualising the goal of having a vibrant digital and creative ecosystem.

The Solution Innovation District is pivotal in activating, building, and scaling the innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship ecosystem. It strongly fosters the Anambra Digital Tribe, individuals who are competent in various digital skills, making them productive at home and exportable abroad. SID has implemented digital skills programs, including LevelUp and Code Anambra.

Code Anambra not only focuses on AI but also covers other core digital courses, accommodating underrepresented groups such as people with disabilities (PWD) and women. She highlighted that SID has more women than men in the AI class and that shows that our girls and women are embracing technology.

InnovateAI 2024 was an event focused on how Nigeria can adapt AI to build solutions to both local and global problems.

Key takeaways from the event highlighted that technology, especially AI, is here to stay, debunking the myth that AI will simply replace most jobs. Instead, it enhances creativity, opportunities, innovation, jobs, efficiency, and workflow productivity and allows humans to be more efficient.

The event brought together distinguished speakers and a massive audience, serving as a captivating and clarion call for Nigerians, especially the youth, to embrace technology. It encouraged them to embark on a digital career journey, focusing on areas such as AI and other emerging technologies.