FG, Google to train civil servants on AI applications

By editor

The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and Google have unveiled plans to train Nigerian public servants and government leaders in Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications to be part of a global initiative to train one million government workers.

The training will be delivered using the Apolitical Government AI Campus, a global hub for AI excellence in government, supported by Google.org.

Speaking at the event on Thursday in Abuja, Olumide Balogun, West Africa Director at Google, represented by Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications Manager, said that bringing the Apolitical Government AI Campus to Nigeria is part of the company’s broader commitment over the past year to advance AI adoption and digital skills in Nigeria.

Launched with a flagship leadership briefing in Abuja for senior officials, Apolitical’s Government AI Campus will provide a comprehensive set of practical resources for Nigerian public servants.

Beneficiaries will have access to government-specific online training, covering topics including AI fundamentals to AI leadership, as well as expert-led events, tools, and frameworks, all designed to help public servants apply AI learnings in their respective domains.
They can also join the global AI in Government community, a space where thousands of government peers from around the world share their insights and AI best practices.

“Championing Nigeria’s digital transformation means investing in the people who shape its future. By working hand-in-hand with public sector leaders and practitioners, we are not only providing technical resources but sharing knowledge that empowers them to deliver better, more efficient government services,” Kola-Ogunlade said.

He stated that these efforts collectively aim to help build a robust AI ecosystem that powers Nigeria’s sustainable economic growth and social development. Through AI, Nigerian communities can benefit from smarter solutions, improved social outcomes, and greater inclusion in a rapidly changing digital economy.

Also, Adewolu Adene, Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy, West Africa, at Google, said the training will be in three main phases.

He said it involves training decision makers to understand the importance of AI Adoption and implementation; train middle-level executives in strategic implementation points to adapt the AI technology to daily processes and applications; and train all civil servants to leverage and adapt AI tools.

According to him, the goal is to train at least 1 million civil servants across the countries of focus involving Nigeria, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana among others, with room to accommodate as many willing civil servants in Nigeria.

He said that the partnership with Apolitical follows a pledge by Google to invest $1.6 billion in Africa over five years.

This has seen the company invest in projects like the Equiano subsea cable to boost internet speed and affordability, build cloud infrastructure, support small businesses, and invest in skills and startups.

Speaking at the event, Chris Ferguson, Vice President at Apolitical, reinforced the value of upskilling the government’s workforce.

He said, “Structured training is the cornerstone for successful AI adoption in government. This initiative is a pioneering effort that will equip Nigerian public servants with the capabilities to lead the digital transformation with confidence and foresight.”

He noted that every dollar invested in AI has the potential to add more than eight dollars to the economy and that to seize this opportunity, Nigeria needs an AI-skilled public service that can accelerate innovation, improve citizen-centred services, and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) Dr. Bosun Tijani emphasised the critical role of AI skills in government.
“We see Artificial Intelligence as a major driver of productivity across our key sectors. We have been putting resources into ensuring that we can support our civil servants and our public service in a manner that AI can become something that is native to them to accelerate and shorten the time we spend on administering our processes, or by using it to better deliver to our people. And this is why we’re extremely excited about this opportunity and support from Google,” Tijani said.