LAGOS – On 3 November 2023, United Nations Development Programme and Microsoft launched the AI4Dev Reference Group to help shape prospective AI opportunities in Nigeria. The collaboration is the latest in ongoing UNDP<>Microsoft Partnerships in Nigeria, which aim to support the acceleration of development in the country through digital transformation. The AI4Dev Reference group has been established as a multi-stakeholder and interdisciplinary team drawn from a diverse group of representatives from the academia, technology and innovation ecosystem, creative fraternity, policymakers, business leaders, private sector, and civil society. The launch of the Reference Group comes at an opportune time which calls for the infusion of AI technology into development activities, not only in Nigeria, but worldwide. 

Speaking during the commissioning of the AI4Dev Reference Group, Ms. Ola Williams, Microsoft Nigeria Country Manager noted that:"with the largest technology market on the continent and a talented young population, Nigeria has potential to benefit signficantly from the emerging opportunities presented by AI. But in order for the country to fully embrace these opportunities, we must work together to provide a clear blueprint for responsible AI adoption with a view to the technology benefitting every individual and organisation in Nigeria."

Technology and digital tools are playing a key role in accelerating the pace of development in under-developed countries. Within the UN, AI is believed to have the potential to scale up and amplify the work of governments, civil society and the overall work being carried out by UN worldwide such as predicting and addressing crises and rolling out public health and education services. Nonetheless, with the benefits of AI comes the various risks associated with it, such as privacy concerns, lack of transperancy, security risk, and ethical dilemas. It is within this context that there is need to ensure that the posed risks and possible challenges associated with AI are addressed.  

Presenting at the commissioning, Mr. William Tsuma (PhD), Head of UNDP Innovation Center Lagos and Innovation Officer stated that: “Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are rapidly transforming the development landscape, reshaping how we interact, how we work, how we learn and how public services are delivered.” He further added that, “AI has fast become a new frontier infrastructure with transformative potential - compounded by a high uptake of computational power, improved connectivity and big data.”

Key functions of the AI4Dev Reference Group will include mitigating the risks of AI by undertaking analysis and mapping out emerging trends of frontier technologies. Additionally, the Reference Group will serve as a sounding board and advisory panel on how to leverage AI and other frontier technologies towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 in Nigeria. Further, it will provide advice to the broader development community in Nigeria and the UN leadership on measures to mitigate any risks associated with the uptake of these frontier technologies. Finally, the AI4Dev Reference Group will work as a Research and Development platform for policy makers, development partners and the entire UN System in Nigeria to better track and monitor trends, signals and advise on opportunities for AI. 

For more than two decades, Microsoft has invested in capacity-building initiatives to prepare the continent for AI transformation. In Ghana and Nigeria, the company is championing digital transformation through collaboration with other technology partners and development institutions such as UNDP. The goal of these collaborations is to reimagine the ways in which people, data and processes come together to drive social impact by using new technology such as AI. In turn, this will produce new insights that, not only empower governments, but aid the work that the UN is doing in the region to deliver the resources needed to achieve the SDGs. 

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Note to Editors

 About UNDP:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end the injustices of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in over 170 countries, UNDP helps nations to build integrated and lasting solutions for people and the planet.

 In Nigeria, UNDP provides technical and policy development support to the Federal Government of Nigeria and supports the implementation of interventions across various thematic areas to meet the medium to long-term national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn more: https://www.undp.org/nigeria

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more. For more information, news and insights from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft's News Centre Middle East & Africa.

Media Contact: 

Christabel Chanda - Ginsberg                                                                        

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christabel.chanda-ginsberg@undp.org                        

Microsoft Contact

Wanja Gitonga

Communications Lead

marykihagi@microsoft.com

gitongawanja@microsoft.com