Microsoft has called for greater investment in the skills and capabilities of Nigeria’s public sector workforce, arguing that the country’s ability to harness artificial intelligence (AI) will depend largely on how well policymakers and government institutions are prepared to adopt, govern, and regulate the technology.
Government Affairs Director, Microsoft West Africa, Nonye Ujam, made the call in an opinion article, contending that public sector officials will play a decisive role in determining whether AI becomes a catalyst for economic growth or a missed opportunity for Nigeria.
According to Ujam, the countries making the fastest progress in AI are not necessarily those with the most advanced technology infrastructure, but those that invested early in institutional capacity and equipped public institutions to manage emerging technologies effectively.
“AI delivers gains in efficiency, accountability and responsiveness only when governments have the skills to move beyond experimentation,” Ujam said.
She noted that governments must develop the capability to identify AI opportunities, manage associated risks, and establish policies that support responsible innovation, rather than responding only after technologies have advanced.
Ujam said Nigeria’s ambition to become one of Africa’s leading AI markets, as outlined in its National AI Strategy, will require a public sector workforce with sufficient knowledge to make informed decisions on AI adoption.
She stressed that policymakers and senior government officials do not need to become technology specialists but should possess adequate AI literacy to develop sound policies, provide effective oversight, and guide responsible implementation.
According to her, capacity-building initiatives targeting lawmakers and officials across ministries, departments, and agencies are essential to strengthening institutional readiness for AI.
She identified training in areas such as data governance, responsible AI, and cybersecurity as critical to enabling government institutions to move from AI experimentation to large-scale implementation.
Ujam also highlighted broader skills development initiatives, including the Developers in Government and 3 Million Technical Talent programmes, saying they could accelerate AI adoption across Nigeria’s public sector.
“The most consequential AI investment may not be in hardware or software, but in the people who shape how these tools are deployed in the public interest,” she said.
She added that a skilled public sector workforce would help establish clearer regulations, strengthen public trust, and provide the policy certainty needed to attract investment into Nigeria’s growing AI ecosystem.
However, Ujam acknowledged that governments worldwide are grappling with the rapid pace of AI development, noting that many institutions have struggled to update policies, regulations, and public service delivery systems quickly enough to keep pace with technological change.
