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“Odetola Champions Africa-Centric AI Vision at National Roundtable”

Published

2 years ago

April 29, 2025

Joel Ajayi

At the National Artificial Intelligence Stakeholders Roundtable 2025, Abiola Odetola, an emerging leader in governance, public policy strategy, and development in Nigeria, delivered a compelling message on the ethical direction and urgent need for proactive regulation of artificial intelligence across the African continent.

Speaking during the Fireside Chat on “AI Regulation and Public Policy” alongside global strategist Major Adebayo Adeleke, Odetola emphasized that Nigeria and Africa must not merely adopt AI technologies, but must actively govern, contextualize, and humanize them.
“We must not allow Artificial Intelligence to govern us; instead, we must boldly govern AI with a human-centered, inclusive approach that reflects our values, context, and aspirations as Africans,” Odetola stated, setting the tone for a forward-looking conversation.

Event Overview
The event, themed “Shaping the Future of AI Governance, Ethics, and Innovation,” was convened by the American Center for Artificial Intelligence and held at the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja. It brought together leaders in technology, governance, academia, and civil society to chart a strategic course for Nigeria’s AI future.

In his welcome address, Mr. Olusola Amusan, Director of the American Center for AI, emphasized a people-first approach to AI deployment in Africa. He highlighted inclusivity, security, and local relevance as critical pillars for building AI systems that work for African communities.

The keynote presentation by Professor Boniface Alese, titled “AI Defenders I: Revolutionizing Cybersecurity,” explored the intersection of AI and national security infrastructure. The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), also emphasized academia’s role in shaping indigenous research and talent pipelines.

It was against this backdrop of institutional frameworks and technical insight that Odetola’s intervention stood out — offering a human-centered counterbalance and elevating the conversation toward governance that is not only strategic, but values-driven.

The Call for Localized AI Governance
Odetola’s remarks focused heavily on the governance and policy landscape. He underscored the urgency of developing homegrown strategies for regulating AI that go beyond adopting Western norms.

“The world is in a race. But Africa must not sprint blindly. We must legislate, regulate, educate, and protect our people from being mere users of technologies they neither designed nor understood,” he said.

He warned that without clear and inclusive governance structures, AI could deepen inequality, exacerbate unemployment, and replicate existing biases embedded in data.

“AI must be taught our languages, trained with our realities, and must serve our priorities. That is governance. That is power,” he added.
Global Models, Local Realities.

Odetola acknowledged the strides made in global AI governance, noting that several models already exist around the world that seek to promote ethical, transparent, and accountable use of artificial intelligence.

However, he was quick to caution against blind imitation.

“Nigeria must not mimic without meaning,” Odetola asserted.“We need a National AI Strategy that is affordable, enforceable, and local in spirit. Our policymakers must work hand-in-hand with developers, startups, and civil society to co-create these rules.”

He emphasized that many developed nations have already begun an “ethical AI revolution,” but warned that Nigeria must not be left behind — nor fall into the trap of modern algorithmic colonization.

“The global models? They don’t speak our languages. They don’t reflect our cultures. They don’t represent our diversity,” he said.

“We must not just copy frameworks — we must create. We must code in our own context, legislate in our language, and govern with our own values.”He called for a bold new direction: one where Nigeria builds its own datasets, trains its own models, and leads the world in African-centered AI ethics.

Preparing for the Storms Ahead
While optimistic about AI’s potential, Odetola didn’t shy away from acknowledging the challenges ahead: low digital literacy, infrastructure deficits, weak data protection enforcement, and a public trust deficit in governance systems.

“These are not reasons to retreat. They are signals to prepare. Nigeria’s youth, with the right support, can leapfrog into global AI leadership,” he stated.
While responding to questions during the chat, Odetola cautioned the audience:

“We must be careful how we define our national realities. For the avoidance of doubt, there are policymakers in Nigeria — people who live their lives to ensure that this country has the best of policy instruments, not just for AI but across critical sectors,” he said.

He pointed to the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation Law and the creation of the National Data Protection Commission in 2023 as evidence of progress in legislative support for AI governance.

He also acknowledged ongoing work by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in crafting a National AI Strategy, noting that discussions must be future-facing while grounded in today’s realities.

The Future is Governance
Odetola made a strong case for recognizing AI as a public good — one that must be designed and governed in service of human development.

“AI must be treated as a public good — for healthcare, for education, for agriculture, for sports, for justice. The people must be at the center of every AI deployment,” he noted.
His voice stood out not just for its policy depth, but for its moral clarity. As Nigeria inches closer to its first formal AI strategy, his words may serve as a compass — a reminder that the future is not just technological; it is political, ethical, and deeply human.

In his final words, he left the room with a challenge:

“AI governance is not a tech issue. It is a leadership issue. The real question is not what AI can do. It is — who will it serve, and who will be left behind if we do not govern it right.”

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Strategic Partnerships, Diaspora Investment and Improved Workforce Critical to Industrialization-DG RMRDC

Published

24 hours ago

November 12, 2026

The Gleamer

By: Stella Azi and Adaora Adibe

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has called for a strategic shift from the exportation of raw commodities to domestic processing, manufacturing and value addition, declaring that Nigeria possesses enormous untapped raw material resources capable of driving industrialisation, creating jobs and strengthening the country’s economic competitiveness.

Prof. Ike-Muonso made this submission in a lecture titled Unlocking Nigeria’s Raw Material Value Chain for Industrialization, Manufacturing and Competitiveness, where he presented an extensive assessment of Nigeria’s resource endowments, industrial challenges and emerging investment opportunities across agricultural commodities, solid minerals and waste-based raw materials.

The lecture highlighted a combined US$2.65 trillion global market opportunity across 30 major raw material value chains, comprising 12 agricultural value chains valued at US$932 billion, 11 mineral value chains worth US$1.352 trillion and seven circular-economy value chains estimated at US$366 billion.

According to the RMRDC Boss, Nigeria must move beyond the traditional approach of extracting and exporting raw materials to building competitive domestic industries that transform these resources into intermediate products, industrial inputs and finished goods for local consumption and international markets.

He observed that the country’s manufacturing sector has struggled to sustain its 2014 peak, with its contribution to real Gross Domestic Product declining from 9.64 per cent in 2014 to 8.05 per cent in 2025, representing a 16.5 per cent decline. He also drew attention to the increasing cost of raw material imports, which rose to US$20.5 billion in 2025, approximately six times the 2020 level.

He explained that the growing dependence on imported industrial inputs exposes Nigerian manufacturers to foreign exchange volatility, increases production costs and weakens the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.

Prof. ke-Muonso stressed that the solution lies in developing domestic raw material value chains through deliberate investment in processing facilities, research and development, technology, infrastructure and stronger linkages between producers, processors and manufacturers.

He identified agriculture, solid minerals and industrial waste as three major resource platforms for Nigeria’s industrial transformation, stating the country’s significant production capacity and the enormous opportunities available for downstream processing.

Ike-Muonso noted that Nigeria produces over 63 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, making it the world’s largest producer, while also maintaining strong positions in cocoa, cashew, sesame, palm oil and cotton. However, more than 80 per cent of agricultural output leaves farms without adequate processing, resulting in the loss of significant economic value and industrial opportunities.

In the solid minerals sector, he identified more than 44 commercially viable minerals across over 500 locations, including lithium, gold, barite, bitumen, iron ore and high-grade limestone, describing them as strategic resources capable of supporting steel production, energy storage, electrification and advanced manufacturing.

The DG further drew attention to Nigeria’s industrial and agro-waste resources, noting that the country generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually. He explained that agricultural residues, cassava peels, scrap metals, plastics and electronic waste could serve as important feedstock for bio-fertilisers, industrial chemicals, recycled polymers, energy production and other manufacturing applications.

In the agricultural sector, the DG identified cassava and industrial starch, cotton and natural textiles, natural rubber and elastomers, oil palm and oleochemicals, maize derivatives and cocoa processing as priority areas requiring increased investment.

He explained that processing agricultural commodities into industrial starch, sweeteners, textiles, technical rubber, specialty fats and other intermediate products would enable Nigeria to capture more value from its agricultural resources while reducing dependence on imported industrial inputs.

For the minerals sector, he highlighted crude oil-to-olefins and petrochemicals, lithium and energy storage, iron ore and steel, rare earth elements, bauxite and aluminium, and copper and electrification as strategic investment opportunities.

He particularly emphasised the importance of moving beyond mineral extraction into beneficiation, refining, battery precursors, industrial chemicals, metal fabrication and advanced materials production.

On the circular economy, Prof. Ike-Muonso identified electronic waste recovery, scrap metal recycling, plastic waste processing, agro-waste valorisation and battery recycling as emerging industrial opportunities.

He explained that transforming waste into productive industrial feedstock would not only reduce environmental pollution but also create new manufacturing industries, generate employment and reduce the importation of valuable industrial materials.

He noted that to address the structural challenges confronting raw material-based industrialisation, the DG highlighted the strategic interventions of the RMRDC, particularly the proposed 30% Value Addition Bill and the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP).

He described the 30% Value Addition Bill as an important policy instrument designed to encourage domestic processing of raw materials before export, strengthen local manufacturing capacity and guarantee access to essential raw materials for Nigerian industries, and NISSRAMP as a critical data infrastructure that would improve access to verified information on the availability, location and quality of raw materials.

According to him, the combination of appropriate policy instruments and reliable resource data would help de-risk investments, improve transparency and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration among government, academia and industry in developing bankable projects, sharing investment risks and accelerating the establishment of processing and manufacturing facilities.

Professor Ike-Muonso called on Nigerians in the diaspora and other local and international investors to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He identified industrial processing parks, mineral beneficiation and refining, agro-industrial platforms, circular-material processing, industrial input manufacturing and enabling infrastructure as viable investment platforms.

He noted that diaspora investors could contribute beyond financial capital by bringing technology, international business networks, governance standards, technical expertise and access to global markets.

He maintained that Nigeria’s industrial transformation requires coordinated investment across the entire value chain, from raw material sourcing and aggregation to processing, manufacturing, certification and export development.

Professor Ike-Muonso stressed that the country’s industrial future would depend not merely on the volume of raw materials extracted but on the capacity to transform them into competitive products that meet domestic and international market requirements.

He maintained that developing local value chains would stimulate industrial growth, create employment opportunities, diversify exports, conserve foreign exchange and deepen Nigeria’s technological capabilities.

Through its strategic interventions, the RMRDC is positioning itself as a critical bridge between resource availability, investment opportunities and industrial competitiveness, with the ultimate objective of transforming Nigeria from a predominantly raw material exporting economy into a strong manufacturing and value-adding nation.

Ike-Muonso has demonstrated this since assumption of office as the Director General/ CEO RMRDC in the area of capacity building, improved working conditions, promotion of merit, and maintaining a conducive environment that rewards excellence, innovation and dedication. This is evident in his institution of RMRDC training school, reward for winners of the RMRDC innovation challenge among others.

His commitment has brought recognition both nationally and internationally: Al-Jazirah double honour awards as Public Servant /Government Agency of the year 2024-2025 and the recent election as the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Representative on the Board of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO) is a attestation to his commitment.

Concluding the lecture, the DG charged staff, researchers, manufacturers and investors to see themselves as nation builders in the new era of raw materials-led industrialization.

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