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The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called for a more inclusive model of artificial intelligence that gives people the ability not only to use AI, but also to understand, build and shape the technology.
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Abdullahi made the call as he joined global leaders, development champions and social-business advocates in a high-level dialogue on technology, innovation and sustainable development during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York.
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The 81st UN General Assembly opened on September 8, 2026, under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.” The high-level General Debate began on September 22 and runs through September 28.
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The session is bringing together world leaders and other stakeholders against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, climate pressures, development challenges and growing international attention to the governance of artificial intelligence.
Abdullahi: Inclusive AI Must Go Beyond Access
In his keynote, Abdullahi argued that the global AI conversation must move beyond simply expanding access to artificial intelligence.
He proposed an inclusive AI framework built around three interconnected principles: Representation, Access and Agency.
According to him, AI systems should reflect the data, languages, cultures, contexts and values of the communities they are designed to serve.
He also argued that access should mean more than allowing people to consume AI-generated services.
“Inclusive AI requires representation and access—and access must mean agency, not just consumption.”
For Abdullahi, agency means empowering people to understand AI, build with it, shape its development and create economic and social value from the technology.
Putting AI Expertise Within Reach of Everyone
Illustrating the potential of inclusive AI, the NITDA chief used the example of a Nigerian farmer who may have limited access to agricultural experts.
An AI-enabled agricultural assistant, he suggested, could potentially put some of that expertise directly into the farmer’s hands, helping analyse weather conditions and soil, identify crop-related challenges and connect agricultural production to markets.
The broader objective, he said, should not be to turn every citizen into an AI specialist.
“The promise of AI is not that every Nigerian becomes an AI expert. It is that AI can put expertise within the reach of every Nigerian.”
That approach shifts the focus from AI as an advanced technology reserved for specialists to AI as a tool for improving everyday decisions, productivity and livelihoods.
Nigeria’s Four Pillars for an Inclusive AI Economy
Abdullahi identified four foundations underpinning Nigeria’s approach to an inclusive AI future: CONNECT, SKILL, COMPUTE and CREATE.
The CONNECT pillar focuses on expanding digital connectivity, including through initiatives such as Project BRIDGE.
SKILL centres on building the human capabilities required to participate in the digital and AI economy through programmes and platforms including Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL), the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
The COMPUTE pillar focuses on strengthening Nigeria’s cloud, computing and AI infrastructure.
The CREATE pillar is aimed at creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurs and innovators to develop sustainable technology solutions to real-world problems.
Together, the four pillars frame AI development as an ecosystem involving infrastructure, skills, computing capacity and innovation.
Digital Sovereignty Does Not Mean Digital Isolation
The NITDA DG also addressed the increasingly important question of digital sovereignty.
He said Nigeria’s objective should not be technological isolation, but the ability to ensure that AI systems operating in the country understand Nigerian data, contexts and nuances, comply with Nigerian law and reflect national culture and values.
At the same time, Nigeria should remain open to international investment, technologies, models and partnerships.
This approach positions digital sovereignty as the capacity to participate meaningfully in the global technology economy while maintaining appropriate national control over critical digital infrastructure, data and technological development.
Technology Companies Must “Build With Africa”
Abdullahi also called for a shift in how global technology companies engage with Africa.
Rather than simply selling technology into African markets, he urged technology companies to “build with Africa.”
That, he said, should include investment in computing infrastructure, knowledge transfer, talent development, African datasets and languages, as well as partnerships with local innovators and researchers.
Such collaboration, he argued, would allow African countries to participate more meaningfully in the development of AI rather than remaining primarily consumers of technologies developed elsewhere.
The approach also places local talent and context at the centre of AI development.
AI Must Augment Human Capability
Abdullahi encouraged citizens, particularly young people, to view AI as a tool for augmenting their capabilities and productivity.
Rather than framing AI exclusively as a replacement for human labour, his message emphasised the potential for people to use the technology to extend their knowledge, improve productivity and develop new solutions.
That perspective is particularly relevant to countries such as Nigeria, where a large and growing young population is entering an increasingly technology-driven economy.
Human Accountability Cannot Be Delegated
A central part of Abdullahi’s message was the need to maintain human accountability as AI becomes increasingly integrated into decisions affecting people’s lives.
AI systems may increasingly support decisions involving healthcare, livelihoods, rights and public services.
But, he argued, responsibility for those decisions must remain with people and institutions.
“We can delegate tasks to machines. We cannot delegate accountability.”
The principle places human oversight at the centre of responsible AI development.
It also raises broader questions about transparency, governance, data protection and the ability of citizens to understand or challenge decisions influenced by automated systems.
Two Questions for the AI Age
Abdullahi concluded by challenging policymakers, technology companies and innovators to consider two questions whenever they develop an AI system:
Who is represented in the intelligence we are creating?
And who has the agency to shape and create value from that intelligence?
The questions go to the heart of the global debate over whether AI will widen or reduce existing digital, economic and knowledge inequalities.
They also reflect Nigeria’s push to position participation, local capability and human development alongside technological advancement.
NITDA’s AI Vision Centres on Human Progress
Abdullahi’s intervention at UNGA 81 placed Nigeria’s AI ambitions within a wider global conversation about technology and inclusive development.
The UN itself has identified inclusive digital cooperation and emerging technologies as a priority for the 81st session, with General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman highlighting the need to bridge digital divides, strengthen safeguards and build governance systems that protect human rights and public trust.
Against that backdrop, Nigeria’s emphasis on representation, access, skills, computing capacity and local innovation provides a framework for linking AI development to broader economic and social outcomes.
Abdullahi’s closing message captured that ambition:
“The defining achievement of the AI age should not be that we created machines capable of extraordinary intelligence. It should be that we used that intelligence to unlock extraordinary human possibility; for everyone.”
For NITDA, the emerging objective is therefore not simply to expand Nigeria’s access to artificial intelligence, but to develop an ecosystem in which Nigerians can increasingly understand AI, build with AI, participate in its governance and create value from the AI economy.
