Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has called on researchers, investors and innovators to partner with governments at all levels to pilot and scale Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital solutions in agriculture, health, education and governance.
The governor spoke at the 4th Biennial International Conference jointly organised by the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and the Faculty of Philology, Rudn University, Russia.
AbdulRazaq, who spoke through his senior adviser and counsellor, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, explained that the goal is to make Ilorin and Kwara a credible destination for tech investment and talent in West Africa.
“We invite researchers, investors, and innovators to work with governments in piloting and scaling AI and digital solutions in agriculture, health, education, and governance,” AbdulRazaq said.
“We know AI is only as good as the people who understand and use it. That is why the Ilorin Innovation Hub and initiatives like TechUnlimited are training thousands of youth in data analysis, software development, and AI fundamentals.
In his keynote address, the comptroller-general of Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, said the digital age remained fundamentally a human story, stressing that the real test of the current generation was not the sophistication of machines but the wisdom with which societies deploy them.
According to him, universities occupy a strategic position in shaping how societies think about knowledge, ethics and evidence in the era of digital transformation.
He cited data from the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), indicating that electronic payment transactions in Nigeria reached N1.07 quadrillion in 2024, equivalent to about $702.6 billion at the year-end exchange rate.
He added that NIBSS Instant Payments processed N285 trillion in the first quarter of 2025 alone, representing a 25 per cent increase over the same period in 2024.
