FG's AI plan to train 36,000 youths dismissed as insignificant for Nigeria's 250M population

British-Nigerian AI expert Abel Aboh has criticized the Federal Government's partnership with Coursera to train 36,000 Nigerians in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, calling the number insignificant for a country with over 250 million people and 70% youth population.

Aboh, speaking on The Coffee Table Podcast, argued that 36,000 trainees cannot move the needle nationally—using Lagos's population of over 20 million as perspective. He emphasized Nigeria's approach is inadequate and must start from kindergarten through tertiary education, not focus mainly on higher institutions.

The expert questioned Nigeria's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for lacking concrete problem definitions, stating it remains aspirational without addressing agriculture, security, unemployment and other critical sectors. 'Writing strategy is one thing. Where the rubber meets the road is implementation because strategy is a piece of paper,' he said.

Aboh recommended identifying 10 priority areas for AI adoption including financial services, education, security and unemployment, citing India's outsourcing success. He advocated for local data centre investment, noting available land and water resources that could attract infrastructure development.

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission also announced plans to review the Data Protection Act to address emerging technologies like AI, big data and robotics, three years after President Tinubu signed it into law on June 12, 2023.

Should Nigeria prioritize comprehensive AI education from primary schools or focus on rapid deployment in key sectors like agriculture and security?

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2026/06/21/fgs-36000-ai-training-plan-too-small-for-nigeria-abel-aboh/