Nigeria has published 20 peer-reviewed artificial intelligence (AI) research papers in less than two years, a milestone that signals the country’s growing participation in the global AI research landscape. The achievement comes under the Nigerian Artificial Intelligence Research Scheme (NAIRS), a federally funded initiative aimed at boosting Nigeria’s homegrown AI research capacity and ensuring that local institutions receive credit for groundbreaking work.
A Push to Localize AI Innovation
Launched in early 2024 by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy and funded through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), NAIRS was designed to reverse a long-standing trend: while Nigerians abroad had authored thousands of AI papers, few were tied to local universities or labs.
“We discovered thousands of AI papers authored by Nigerians, but none tied to Nigerian institutions,” said Olubunmi Ajala, National Director of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, during an interview at GITEX Nigeria in Abuja. “That’s why NAIRS was created — to give Nigerian researchers, both at home and abroad, a structured platform to produce Nigeria-led AI research.”
Supporting Researchers and Driving Results
The program’s first call attracted over 4,000 applications, with 45 consortia — including academics and startups — ultimately selected to receive grants of up to ₦5 million ($3,400) each. Participants were tasked with producing publishable research within a year in one of five focus areas:
- Agriculture
- Healthcare
- Education
- Sustainability
- Utilities
By August 2025, the impact was clear: 20 peer-reviewed papers had been published, including two in Springer journals. Several projects have already moved into field testing.
One agricultural research group used YOLOv8 computer vision models to detect “tomato Ebola”, a disease responsible for devastating harvests. Another team developed a smart traffic management system that replaces Nigeria’s fixed 60-second traffic light cycles with adaptive AI models that adjust signal timing based on real-time traffic conditions.
“These are not just academic exercises,” Ajala emphasized. “They are practical solutions tested with real data, designed to solve problems that directly affect Nigerians.”
Building Long-Term AI Infrastructure
Beyond individual projects, NAIRS is investing in long-term capacity building. Through the AI Collective, a network of more than 2,000 Nigerian AI practitioners worldwide, researchers share datasets, mentor students, and collaborate on commercial applications of their work.
Ajala said the next phase involves pushing for patents, biotech innovations, and scalable startups, underscoring Nigeria’s ambition to lead AI-driven transformation on the continent.
“Once strong research outcomes begin to emerge, funding naturally follows,” Ajala said. “Global partners are keen to see how AI can address African realities, and Nigeria is beginning to provide answers.”
