New report says artificial intelligence could add $22 billion to Nigeria’s economy as Meta expands digital investments.
A new report has revealed that broader adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) could add about $22 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2035.
The report, “Nigeria’s Digital Economy: Unlocking Growth and Opportunity” was authored by independent economic research firm, Public First, and was unveiled by Meta, in collaboration with key government agencies and private sector stakeholders on Thursday in Abuja.
The study underscored the growing strategic importance of digital infrastructure, open-source technologies and online business platforms in the country’s economic future.
This came as the federal government and Meta alao launched a multilingual Artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, GovGuide Nigeria, to improve access to government services and public information nationwide.
The solution encompasses both a voice and text assistant, allowing users to access information on government services through web platforms in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
The report however, projected that Nigeria’s digital economy, currently estimated at $52 billion, could more than double to $120 billion within the next decade if investments in connectivity, platforms and AI ecosystems are sustained.
The findings also showed that Meta’s platforms generated about $820 million in economic value for Nigerian businesses in 2025 alone, while about 14 million Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) leveraged Meta-owned applications including WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram to drive operations, sales and customer engagement.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr. Bosun Tijani, dismissed growing fears that AI could worsen unemployment in Nigeria and Africa at large, insisting instead that the technology would improve productivity and create new economic opportunities.
Tijani said countries that failed to embrace AI risked deeper poverty as emerging technologies continue to transform global economies and industries.
He told THISDAY, “There are fears globally that AI will take jobs, but for Africa, AI will actually enhance opportunities. Across our sectors, we are operating below our full potential. AI can help us improve productivity and create even more jobs. However, we must retrain people and ensure they are prepared for the future.”
The minister described the report as a strong validation of ongoing federal government investments in broadband infrastructure, digital skills and AI readiness.
He said the government was currently investing nearly $2 billion in the deployment of 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic infrastructure nationwide as well as about 4,000 telecom towers aimed at connecting underserved rural communities.
According to him, about 20 million Nigerians still lacked access to telecommunications services, adding that the administration was also planning new satellite deployments to deepen connectivity.
The minister further disclosed that the country’s fibre-optic project had become the largest digital initiative in the World Bank’s global portfolio.
He also highlighted the government’s ongoing Three Million Technical Talents (3MTT) programme, designed to train young Nigerians in digital and technical skills required for the evolving global economy.
On AI governance, the minister stressed the importance of balancing innovation with trust, safety and responsible platform management.
He said Nigeria had already developed a national AI strategy in partnership with Meta and other technology firms, adding that the country currently ranked first in Africa and 32nd globally in AI readiness.
Earlier, Meta Vice President, Public Policy, Africa, Middle East and Turkey (AMET), Mr. Kojo Boakye, said the increasing adoption of Meta platforms by Nigerian entrepreneurs reflected the country’s strong innovation potential and resilience.
Boakye disclosed that about 14 million Nigerian SMEs currently rely on Meta applications to run their businesses and support livelihoods.
He said businesses using Meta tools were contributing over $2 billion to Nigeria’s GDP while also generating about $640 million in efficiency gains through lower transaction costs and improved customer reach.
According to him, the company’s investment strategy in Nigeria goes beyond social media applications to include critical infrastructure such as the 45,000-kilometre 2Africa submarine cable and local data centre partnerships.
Boakye also announced the launch of “Meta Transform with AI,” a new programme targeted at developers and business owners seeking to integrate AI into their operations.
The initiative, he said, would be implemented in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and Fate Foundation.
He maintained that Nigeria remained strategically positioned to lead Africa’s digital future if current momentum in infrastructure, regulation and innovation was sustained.
Meanwhile, the report which was commissioned by Meta further showed that Sub-Saharan Africa was continuing to experience rapid digital transformation.
It estimated that the region’s digital economy is already worth about $130 billion and could more than double over the next decade to about $300 billion.
The study however, noted that achieving this growth will require the right operating environment.
It identified three major barriers including connectivity constraints, high capital costs for entrepreneurs, and limited access to advanced technologies like AI.
“Meta is helping dismantle those barriers through infrastructure, platforms and AI tools. We estimate that Meta’s investments generated $16 billion in economic value across Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025 alone.
“Businesses using Meta platforms generated $3.6 billion in economic value across the region, while open-source AI models could support another $23 billion over the next decade,” the report further noted.
“For Nigeria specifically, we estimate that the country’s digital economy currently stands at about $52 billion. With continued investment, this could more than double to $120 billion by 2035.
“Nigeria is also emerging as Sub-Saharan Africa’s technology leader and gateway for regional connectivity.
In 2025, Nigerian businesses generated $820 million in economic value through Meta’s platforms. Infrastructure remains critical.
“By 2035, the two Africa cables alone could connect an additional 15 million Nigerians to the internet and contribute $1.8 billion to GDP.”
Among other things, the report noted that AI represents the next phase of growth.
“Open-source AI lowers cost barriers and enables developers to build local solutions in local languages for local industries.
Nigeria has an opportunity to extend its leadership in the digital economy into the AI era.
“If we maintain momentum across infrastructure, platforms and open-source AI, Nigeria is perfectly positioned to lead Africa’s digital future,” it added.
Director at Public First, Alison Neyle, said, “Nigeria’s digital transformation is creating new opportunities for businesses, creators and consumers alike.
“The findings show that Meta’s platforms are helping Nigerian firms grow across formal and informal sectors, supporting entrepreneurship and strengthening participation in one of the world’s most rapidly expanding digital economies.
“With the right combination of infrastructure, platform access and open-source AI, the upside for Nigeria is significant.”
However, speaking on the chatbot, Tijani said the project reflected government’s commitment to using technology to strengthen service delivery and citizen engagement.
He said, “The GovGuide initiative reflects our commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence to make government services and information more accessible and responsive to the needs of Nigerians.
“By deploying AI-powered tools in local languages and on platforms people already use daily, we are improving access to public services and also strengthening transparency, trust, and citizen engagement.
“As Nigeria continues to grow its digital economy, partnerships like this demonstrate how innovation can improve productivity, unlock opportunities, and bring government closer to the people.”
Head of Public Policy, Meta, Sade Dada said, “Meta’s open-source AI remained critical to economic growth and productivity.
She said, “GovGuide Nigeria is a voice and text AI assistant in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba that gives every Nigerian, including rural and low-literacy users, easier access to information on government services.
“This is exactly how open-source AI creates lasting value: enabling homegrown innovation, supporting local talent, and putting powerful tools to work in service of the people who need them most.”
In his remarks, The Chief Executive, Publica AI, which is one of the partners, Ignatius Willie said, “Today is not just a product launch. It is a step towards democratising how Nigerians engage with their government.
“With GovGuide Nigeria, we are not simply digitising access to public services; we are making them conversational, multilingual, and available on the channels Nigerians already use everyday. Built in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and NCAIR, powered by Meta’s open-source models, and shaped by hundreds of Nigerian language contributors, GovGuide Nigeria is proof that the next generation of public infrastructure for Africa can, and should, be built in Africa, in our own languages.”
Essentially, the platform was developed through a partnership between Meta, the Ministry of communication, NCAIR, and Publica AI and aimed to provide seamless, multilingual access to information on all government services, furthering the ambition to deliver value in critical areas of society.
