In our Wakanda era
Nigeria might be creating a local version of ChatGPT soon…
Happy Friday, Big Brains. We made it… again. Another week of capitalism and failing economy done and dusted. Don’t have any weekend plans? Binge-read TBD and share the newsletter with all the cool kids you know.
- Margaret
Word count: ~ 1,300
Reading time ~5 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
Nigeria is tired of carrying last in the AI-readiness race
Ex-Taraba governor has paid ₦150 million to get EFCC off his back
Nigeria wants to upgrade your life with electronic vehicles
The Big Deal
Nigeria is tired of carrying last in the AI-readiness race
We know Artificial Intelligence hates to see Nigeria coming. The whole world seems to be super hyped about the chances of AI replacing manpower and would we still be Naija if we carry last in the AI race? Obviously not. That’s why the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced that the government is about to launch a new $1.5 million plan to support the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because this isn’t the first time Nigeria has pumped money into its AI dream this year. In July, Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the launch of the AI Expertise Blockchain and Technology Training and Outsourcing Initiative in Dutse, Jigawa. This programme was expected to open at least 1,000 training slots to Nigerians interested in learning about AI, blockchain, and other aspects of tech every year. It’s been hard tracking the progress of this training because the government hasn’t been generous with that information.
Now, Bosun wants to take things up a notch by spending more dollars on improving AI in Nigeria.
Here’s the part you might like - Bosun said the Made in Nigeria AI model will be built using our local languages. So, don’t be surprised if your AI assistant starts speaking Hausa, Yoruba, or Igbo soon. We can’t swear that the pronunciation will be great but it’s definitely going to beat ChatGPT’s fake pidgin.
Why is this a big deal?
We’re probably the biggest fans of futurism but we also love data. Unfortunately, data isn’t on Nigeria’s side when it comes to AI. In 2023, Nigeria ranked 103 on the list of 172 AI-ready countries on Oxford Insight’s AI Readiness Index.
AI definitely will definitely have its advantages in Nigeria when we get it right. From accurate disease diagnosis and resource management in the healthcare sector to results maximization in agriculture – the results are endless but if we don’t want to become another country that throws AI around like a cringe buzzword, the government needs to start with some groundwork before bigger project like what Bosun is trying to do now.
First, Nigeria needs internet infrastructure, better digital education, policies to make sure AI remains ethical, and access to sufficient data to become AI-ready. What Bosun is doing now is like trying to win a race with flat tyres—we’ve got the car, but we need to pump our tyres first.
If you’re expecting quick results from this project, Tijani himself would like you to reduce your expectations to zero. “I don’t expect immediate applause, because it will take time. But I can’t ignore such a project just because there’s poverty; in the short to medium term, projects like this will alleviate many issues,” he said.
We hope this bumps Nigeria up on that list of AI-ready countries.
Ex-Taraba governor has paid ₦150 million to get EFCC off his back
Remember when we said EFCC was looking for former Taraba governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku, and the ₦27 billion he stole? Well, turns out it was the money it was looking for. The Economic and Financial Crimes Corporation has had an interesting year so far – from Yahaya Bello’s long list of fraud cases to Bobrisky’s controversial sentencing but there’s a pattern that shows that maybe EFCC itself isn’t so innocent.
Even though the ex-governor was accused of crimes that should attract serious penalties like jail term according to the constitution, Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT High Court granted him bail of ₦150 million, along with two sureties who must live in Abuja. Almost as if to say “Don’t do that again o”, the court also barred Ishaku from catching flights without court permission.
EFCC is starting to prove to Nigerians that it could be better at barking than biting.
Tell us when you see it…
Joshua Dariye, the former governor of Plateau State, now a senator, appeared in court on 13 charges of stealing ₦700 million in 2007 and has been granted bail.
Saminu Turaki, former governor of Jigawa State, was charged with 32 counts of stealing ₦36 billion while in office at the FCT High Court, Maitama. He was granted bail after a brief detention in 2007.
Orji Uzor Kalu, who was the governor of Abia State for eight years, faced 107 charges related to ₦5 billion in graft at the FCT High Court, Maitama. He was convicted but appealed the decision. Kalu has been out on bail since 2008.
We can keep going but the pattern is glaring enough as it is – EFCC seems to be letting the worst of thieves go as long as they can drop something for the boys, creating the idea that it’s okay to steal public funds while citizens starve.
In Monday’s edition, we said we were hoping Ishaku’s case would be the exception but that didn’t age well at all.
Nigeria wants to upgrade your life with electric vehicles
Nigeria didn’t discover Vibranium but it seems to be in its Wakanda era.
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) is declaring that “the future is now!” and it starts with rolling out electric vehicles in Northeast Nigeria to promote cleaner energy.
“Isn’t that what the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project was supposed to be about?” Well, the managing director of the project, Mohammed Alkali, announced that after doing more homework, they found that e-vehicles are a better fit for the region than the CNG buses.
Some of these e-vehicles will be spacious enough for 40 passengers while the smaller e-taxis for three passengers. If you’re a Keke NAPEP fan, you’d be happy to know that there’ll be e-tricycles too and they’ll be big enough to fit eight passengers.
Again, we love futurism and all but we’re struggling to find the excitement we should feel towards this project. While NEDC is busy cooking up plans for electric vehicles, we hope they can persuade the federal government to first address the poor condition of the roads in the North first. There's no point doing futuristic shit if we’re still dodging potholes in big 2024.
This Week’s Big Question
“How are/did you celebrate the National Independence Day?”
Temilorun’s response - “I spent the entire day updating my japa plans. I want to celebrate next year’s own from the UK.”
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Temilorun’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
Tinubu Orders Investigation Into Niger Boat Mishaps, Mourns Victims: President Bola Tinubu on Thursday ordered an investigation into the recent boat accidents in Niger State. The state has experienced multiple incidents over the past year, with the latest occurring on Tuesday night, tragically claiming the lives of at least 60 people, mostly women and children.
Tanzania Suspends Newspaper Over Animations Featuring President: Tanzania suspended the online operations of a major newspaper on Thursday after it published cartoons depicting the president and referencing recent abductions and killings of political dissidents.
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