The Gates Foundation has named Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, among the 2026 Goalkeepers Champions.
The statement by Mr. Isime Esene, Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy on Friday in Abuja stated that the minister had joined a distinguished group of global leaders, innovators, and changemakers whose works are helping shape a more equitable future through technology and innovation.
He said that the recognition celebrated Tijani’s contributions to Nigeria’s digital transformation and his leadership in advancing an inclusive AI ecosystem across Africa.
According to the statement, the official announcement by the Gates Foundation described the 2026 Goalkeepers Champions as leaders, innovators, advocates, and changemakers.
He said that their work and influence had helped shape a future where Artificial Intelligence expands opportunity rather than deepens inequality.
According to him, the Foundation highlights the minister’s role in driving rapid digital transformation and advancing efforts to ensure that Africa builds domestic AI capabilities rather than relying on technologies designed elsewhere.
“The recognition ceremony is scheduled to take place on Sept. 21, in New York, on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81),” he said.
He said that since assuming office, Tijani had championed initiatives focused on expanding digital infrastructure and developing Nigeria’s technology talent pipeline.
The statement disclosed that the minister had ensured strengthening of digital skills and positioning AI as a tool for inclusive economic growth and national development.
It added that the ministry developed the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) to provide a coordinated national framework for AI development.
The statement stated that the ministry also established the AI Research Fund to support home-grown research and innovation, while the minister has also driven the development of N-ATLAS, an indigenous Large Language Model built to reflect Nigerian languages and local contexts.
“The creation of the National AI Trust to advance the safe, ethical, and responsible deployment of the technology,” he said.
According to Esene, the minister, through these efforts, emerged as a leading advocate for responsible AI across Africa, championing a future in which the continent shapes, rather than merely adopts, the technologies defining its development.
“These initiatives have strengthened Nigeria’s global standing in AI, with the country recording a marked improvement in its position on the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index,” he said.
It will be recalled that Tijani was named among TIME 100 Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2025, which has further reaffirmed Nigeria’s growing influence in the global AI space.
GIK/APA