Abuja: MTN Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja called on the public and private sectors to collaborate with it to address the challenges and opportunities inherent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) development in the country. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Dr. Karl Toriola, emphasized the need for a united AI strategy during his presentation at the 2025 Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Toriola’s paper, entitled ‘Toward a United AI Strategy for Africa,’ highlighted the necessity for Nigeria to invest in data infrastructure, power supply, and skills development to support AI growth. He stressed the importance of patience and capacity in building and implementing AI solutions to maximize their potential.
Toriola expressed a desire for Nigeria to have a clear strategy for advancing artificial intelligence and to harness both private and public resources with discipline and labor. He pointed out a significant gap in the country’s data center capacity, estimating a 90-megawatt shortfall. The CEO also identified poor power supply as a major challenge, noting that AI data centers require significant energy, equivalent to one nuclear power plant per center.
He advised that Nigeria should focus on building sovereign data ecosystems, which will require collective computing infrastructure. Despite some existing connectivity, Toriola emphasized that there is still a long way to go. He noted that current AI data centers are of such scale that they need the energy of one nuclear power plant per center.
MTN plans to continue investing in solutions that enable consumers, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and large enterprises to tap into AI opportunities. Industry players from across the continent and beyond, including academia, governments, and companies, are participating in the ongoing GITEX event.
