
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has emphasized the need for a decentralized approach to electricity supply in Nigeria to drive the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking at the 10th convocation ceremony of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja on Tuesday, Okonjo-Iweala noted that reliable electricity power supply is crucial for internet access and AI adoption.
“Underpinning all that, of course, is access to reliable electricity power supply. Power outages and constant interruptions might prove a more challenging constraint in Nigeria and other African countries to internet access and AI adoption than anything else,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala proposed that each production, consumption, and learning unit should create its electricity supply through renewables, citing the improved affordability of renewable energy.
She commended AUST for embarking on this path, with feasibility studies for hydro and solar sources to power the campus.
The WTO boss also stressed the need for regulations to guide the use of AI, ensuring data security and sovereignty.
“We also need to bear in mind that relying on AI-driven systems could pose challenges to data sovereignty and security,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala urged investments in ICT infrastructure to enable Nigerians to benefit from AI.
“For people in Nigeria and across the continent to fully harness the gains from AI, we need investments. Investments in basic infrastructure first and foremost, investments in regulatory frameworks, in digital literacy, in upskilling our young people, in creating appropriate business ecosystems and more,” she said.
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