All around the Nigerian digital space, there is a shift going on that has awakened governments to understand that there is no future without accommodating Artificial Intelligence technology into their processes but that has been generating a fuss.

Seven months into his job, Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy minister Dr. Bosun Tijani according to his X profile tweet on Thursday, 4 April has already established and funded 45 AI research projects and startups and thinks he can still do more.

As good as that may sound in addition to giving strong leadership for the establishment of how we govern, manage and apply AI to improve productivity across key sectors of our economy, some Nigerians think that shouldn’t be the focus.

Instead, critics want power or the national postal service to be fixed because they think there is no growing economy without these services being delivered efficiently.

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Responding to the minister’s reel on how hard he has been working, an X account Galileo tweeted: Bosun Tijani’s obsession with AI is a DISGRACE, there’s no ifs or but to it. It’s a big irritation for me. We don’t even have the basic infrastructure to build AI frameworks on. He can turn NIPOST around to a Logistics powerhouse that SMEs can build on, but no, it’s fucking AI.

There were others with unique sets of objections and they all got under the tweets to show their feelings. This then took the Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy minister to a live broadcast hosted by Arise TV.

On the Global Business Report breakfast programme with the host, Rotus Odiri on Friday, the minister defended his keen attention to retooling the country for AI growth.

While the government works on permanently fixing power issues so that there will be a regular nationwide supply to households and businesses, Dr. Tijani does think that developing artificial intelligence capabilities should go side-by-side.

On power to be able to power base stations, even that gentleman will not be in a position to be engaging with me or tweeting his thoughts because the mobile phone he is using will not be powered. Internet will not be there for him to leverage.

We have to ensure that we do not leave the difficult things that we must also do undone. I think we have to do these things side by side and artificial intelligence more than anything actually offers that opportunity for us to start to imagine how we can actually develop in those areas where productivity level is quite low because it gives us the data set that we can use to optimise the way we’re allocating our resources.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration is firmly set on distinguishing this term from predecessors by developing novel ideas to foster growth.

It would be under him that Nigeria by mid-April would host a 3-day workshop drawing 120 AI experts from all over the world. Their coming together is expected to precede a framework in the works that helps build immunity against digital hazards like deep fakes that could get confusing for everyone.