The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has said Nigeria has emerged as West Africa’s digital powerhouse, stressing that the country’s growing influence in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity must become a key pillar of its foreign policy.Tijani stated this on Tuesday at the Second Seminar on Anticipatory, Cyber and Digital Diplomacy organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.The seminar, themed “From Awareness to Activation: Operationalising AI, Cyber and Digital Statecraft for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy,” brought together policymakers, diplomats and technology experts to discuss Nigeria’s digital future.The minister said diplomacy was no longer determined solely by a country’s size, economy or military strength but increasingly by its digital capabilities.“I think all of us can testify to the fact that digital is now a major part of our lives in everything we do, and that’s the case for nations as well. So diplomacy in itself is shifting away from just how big your country is, the size of your economy or defence. It’s coming towards digital,” he said.Tijani said Nigeria was uniquely positioned to lead digital transformation in the region, noting that it is the only country in West Africa with its own communications satellites and the highest number of subsea internet cables.“We’re the only country in the West African region with its own communication satellites; we’re the only country in the West African region with the highest number of subsea cables,” he said.According to him, Nigeria has also become the data hub of West Africa, making it strategically important to global technology companies and neighbouring countries.“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. Tijani stated this on Tuesday at the Second Seminar on Anticipatory, Cyber and Digital Diplomacy organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.The seminar, themed “From Awareness to Activation: Operationalising AI, Cyber and Digital Statecraft for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy,” brought together policymakers, diplomats and technology experts to discuss Nigeria’s digital future.The minister said diplomacy was no longer determined solely by a country’s size, economy or military strength but increasingly by its digital capabilities.“I think all of us can testify to the fact that digital is now a major part of our lives in everything we do, and that’s the case for nations as well. So diplomacy in itself is shifting away from just how big your country is, the size of your economy or defence. It’s coming towards digital,” he said.Tijani said Nigeria was uniquely positioned to lead digital transformation in the region, noting that it is the only country in West Africa with its own communications satellites and the highest number of subsea internet cables.“We’re the only country in the West African region with its own communication satellites; we’re the only country in the West African region with the highest number of subsea cables,” he said.According to him, Nigeria has also become the data hub of West Africa, making it strategically important to global technology companies and neighbouring countries.“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. The seminar, themed “From Awareness to Activation: Operationalising AI, Cyber and Digital Statecraft for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy,” brought together policymakers, diplomats and technology experts to discuss Nigeria’s digital future.The minister said diplomacy was no longer determined solely by a country’s size, economy or military strength but increasingly by its digital capabilities.“I think all of us can testify to the fact that digital is now a major part of our lives in everything we do, and that’s the case for nations as well. So diplomacy in itself is shifting away from just how big your country is, the size of your economy or defence. It’s coming towards digital,” he said.Tijani said Nigeria was uniquely positioned to lead digital transformation in the region, noting that it is the only country in West Africa with its own communications satellites and the highest number of subsea internet cables.“We’re the only country in the West African region with its own communication satellites; we’re the only country in the West African region with the highest number of subsea cables,” he said.According to him, Nigeria has also become the data hub of West Africa, making it strategically important to global technology companies and neighbouring countries.“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. The minister said diplomacy was no longer determined solely by a country’s size, economy or military strength but increasingly by its digital capabilities.“I think all of us can testify to the fact that digital is now a major part of our lives in everything we do, and that’s the case for nations as well. So diplomacy in itself is shifting away from just how big your country is, the size of your economy or defence. It’s coming towards digital,” he said.Tijani said Nigeria was uniquely positioned to lead digital transformation in the region, noting that it is the only country in West Africa with its own communications satellites and the highest number of subsea internet cables.“We’re the only country in the West African region with its own communication satellites; we’re the only country in the West African region with the highest number of subsea cables,” he said.According to him, Nigeria has also become the data hub of West Africa, making it strategically important to global technology companies and neighbouring countries.“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. “I think all of us can testify to the fact that digital is now a major part of our lives in everything we do, and that’s the case for nations as well. So diplomacy in itself is shifting away from just how big your country is, the size of your economy or defence. It’s coming towards digital,” he said.Tijani said Nigeria was uniquely positioned to lead digital transformation in the region, noting that it is the only country in West Africa with its own communications satellites and the highest number of subsea internet cables.“We’re the only country in the West African region with its own communication satellites; we’re the only country in the West African region with the highest number of subsea cables,” he said.According to him, Nigeria has also become the data hub of West Africa, making it strategically important to global technology companies and neighbouring countries.“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. Tijani said Nigeria was uniquely positioned to lead digital transformation in the region, noting that it is the only country in West Africa with its own communications satellites and the highest number of subsea internet cables.“We’re the only country in the West African region with its own communication satellites; we’re the only country in the West African region with the highest number of subsea cables,” he said.According to him, Nigeria has also become the data hub of West Africa, making it strategically important to global technology companies and neighbouring countries.“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. “We’re the only country in the West African region with its own communication satellites; we’re the only country in the West African region with the highest number of subsea cables,” he said.According to him, Nigeria has also become the data hub of West Africa, making it strategically important to global technology companies and neighbouring countries.“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. According to him, Nigeria has also become the data hub of West Africa, making it strategically important to global technology companies and neighbouring countries.“The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. “The implication of this is that we’re a powerful nation. We’ve always been, but in the digital space, we’re a powerful nation,” he added.The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. The minister disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the country’s cybersecurity architecture through a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity, which will bring government and the private sector together to share intelligence on emerging cyber threats.He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. He said the government was also adopting a resilience-based approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, including subsea cables, fibre networks and satellites.Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the country recently emerged as Africa’s top-ranked nation for responsible AI in an assessment by a University of Cambridge research group.He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. He attributed the recognition to deliberate policies that promote AI innovation while safeguarding national interests.He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. He also revealed that Nigeria had developed the first government-backed large language model capable of understanding Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and accented English.“No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. “No one should build artificial intelligence that our people cannot understand,” he said.The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. The minister announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National AI Trust to oversee investments and governance in artificial intelligence.On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. On digital skills development, Tijani said the government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme had already trained nearly 300,000 young Nigerians across all local government areas.“A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. “A lot of those people are already now being placed into jobs with support from organisations like UNDP and the EU as well,” he said.Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technology were reshaping diplomacy and global governance.He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. He said the inaugural seminar led to the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s engagement on emerging technologies.Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. Enikanolaiye urged participants to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and ensure the country remained at the forefront of digital innovation and influence in Africa and globally.He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. He emphasised that anticipatory diplomacy required stronger institutional readiness, enhanced digital capabilities and deeper collaboration among government, academia, technology experts and international partners.He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. He added that the ministry remained committed to developing digitally competent diplomats through specialised training and improved institutional frameworks to advance Nigeria’s regional and global leadership.The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. The Chair of the African Union Cybersecurity Experts Group and lead facilitator of the seminar, Abdul Hakeem Ajijola, said the event was designed to prepare Nigeria for emerging technologies and their implications for diplomacy.“We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. “We are here to talk about anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy. Anticipatory diplomacy is looking at the future, what is coming. For example, AI is no longer coming. AI is here,” he said.Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. Ajijola explained that cyber diplomacy focuses on managing relationships among nations in cyberspace, while digital diplomacy involves using digital platforms to promote Nigeria’s interests globally.He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation. He noted that while the maiden edition of the seminar in 2025 focused on awareness, this year’s edition was aimed at implementation.