Microsoft has urged Nigeria to move beyond developing artificial intelligence policies and focus on deploying the technology to achieve tangible results across government, industry and society.

Speaking at the AI Summit Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, Microsoft’s Government Affairs Director for West Africa, Mrs. Nonye Ujam, said the country should prioritise practical AI implementation that delivers measurable impact, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The summit, themed “From Policy to Progress: Accelerating Responsible AI Adoption for Nigeria’s Digital Decade,” was organised by Microsoft in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency, and MTN.

Ujam said Nigeria has shown strong leadership in advancing AI adoption through initiatives such as the National AI Strategy, data governance frameworks, and regulatory reforms. She noted that these efforts position the country not only to participate in the global AI economy but also to play a role in shaping its future, according to NAN.

“As the focus shifts from strategy to implementation, the priority is to translate ambition into impact by operationalising AI in ways that deliver real and measurable outcomes. This requires the right systems, governance frameworks, infrastructure and institutional capacity to enable AI adoption at scale.

“Trusted AI must be built collaboratively, grounded in local realities, aligned with national priorities and guided by public interest,” she said.

Ujam stressed that AI development must be guided by principles of reliability, safety, fairness, privacy, security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability to foster public trust.

She added that AI offers Nigeria a significant opportunity to strengthen national capabilities and boost its competitiveness in the global digital economy by improving public service delivery, expanding access to knowledge, and driving productivity at scale.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, Emmanuel Edet, said AI is a transformative technology with the potential to reshape every sector of the economy.

“Without public trust, AI adoption will be stalled. Without accountability, innovation will not scale sustainably, and without transparency, citizens will lose confidence in the systems designed to serve them. This is why Nigeria’s approach is centred on responsible AI,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria has the talent and capacity to lead Africa’s AI economy, stressing the importance of pursuing digital sovereignty so the country can develop and shape AI solutions rather than merely consume technologies created elsewhere.

Inuwa stressed the need for Nigeria to achieve digital sovereignty, urging the country to develop and control its own AI capabilities instead of relying solely on technologies created elsewhere.

“We must become creators of intelligence rooted in our realities and responsive to our aspirations. We must build local talent, strengthen research ecosystems and create an enabling environment where Nigerian and African solutions can thrive,” he said.

“The future of AI should not simply happen in Africa; Africa must shape it.”

The summit convened stakeholders from government and the private sector to explore ways of accelerating responsible AI adoption across Nigeria. Participants included representatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Identity Management Commission, and Galaxy Backbone.