Nigeria has signed a $7.5 million partnership agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish the Nigerian Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scaling Hub, aimed at expanding the use of AI in critical sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and education.

The agreement was finalised during a meeting in Abuja involving Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and members of the Gates Foundation team.

Dr. Tijani described the initiative as a turning point for Nigeria’s technological advancement. “This moment means a lot, personally and nationally,” he said. “I’m grateful for the trust, collaboration, and shared belief that Nigeria can lead, not just in adopting technology, but in shaping it to solve real problems.” He added that while full details of the initiative would be shared later, the AI hub would focus on “practical, people-focused impact that brings AI out of labs and into farms, clinics, and classrooms.”

According to the Gates Foundation, the funding will support infrastructure development, talent training, and pilot projects aimed at addressing specific local challenges through artificial intelligence.

Bill Gates, who is currently on a multi-country tour of Africa, reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting innovation on the continent. Speaking earlier in Ethiopia, he said, “I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa.”

He emphasised that the Foundation is prioritising collaboration with governments “that are serious about using innovation to improve the lives of their citizens.”

While in Nigeria, Gates met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and was awarded the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR). The honour was in recognition of his philanthropic contributions to health, education, and poverty alleviation, particularly in Nigeria and across Africa.

The CFR is among Nigeria’s highest honours and is typically reserved for individuals who have made notable contributions to national development or elevated the country’s international standing.

Gates, 69, said his involvement in Africa reflects both a sense of moral duty and a strategic long-term investment. The Gates Foundation has committed \$100 billion globally and plans to direct an additional $200 billion to Africa over the coming decades, depending on market conditions and inflation.

In Nigeria, the Foundation has focused on public health, supporting immunisation programs, maternal and child healthcare, and disease eradication efforts targeting polio and malaria. It has also invested in education initiatives and expanded access to digital tools.

A statement from the Foundation noted that Gates’ visit to Nigeria and Ethiopia comes at a time when global aid structures are shifting. “In Ethiopia and Nigeria this week, Gates will see first-hand the state of health and development priorities in the wake of foreign aid cuts, and he will affirm his and the Foundation’s commitment to supporting Africa’s progress in health and development over the next 20 years,” the statement read.

The AI Scaling Hub is expected to position Nigeria as not only a user of emerging technologies but as a key player in their responsible design and deployment.