China and Nigeria are strengthening cooperation on artificial intelligence, with both countries placing greater emphasis on AI governance, skills development, infrastructure and responsible innovation. The push was highlighted at the Third Lagos Forum 2026, where Nigerian and Chinese officials and academics discussed how partnerships could help narrow the AI divide and enable Nigeria to participate more actively in the global technology economy.
Key Overview
- The Third Lagos Forum focused on a people-centred approach to AI governance and China-Nigeria cooperation.
- China has pledged 5,000 AI training and seminar opportunities for developing countries over the next five years.
- Nigerian participants called for deeper cooperation in AI infrastructure, research, skills and governance rather than relying mainly on imported technologies.
- Nigeria already has a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy covering talent, infrastructure, adoption, ethics and governance.
- Nigeria was not among the 29 founding members of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization.
China and Nigeria Push for More Inclusive AI Development
The Third Lagos Forum, held in Lagos on August 5, 2026, brought together representatives of the Chinese Consulate General in Lagos, the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University.
Discussions centred on a people-centred approach to AI governance, with participants arguing that artificial intelligence should support economic and social development without widening technological inequalities between advanced and developing economies.
Chinese Consul General in Lagos Yan Yuqing said AI should remain a tool for human advancement and called for stronger international cooperation in governance and capacity building. That position reflects China’s wider Global AI Governance Action Plan, which promotes broader access to AI infrastructure, training, datasets, laboratories and governance capabilities.
Nigerian participants also stressed that the country should move beyond being primarily a consumer of technology. They called for partnerships capable of strengthening domestic research, technical expertise and digital infrastructure while giving Nigerian institutions a larger role in the development and governance of AI systems.
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China Expands AI Training and Technology Cooperation
The Lagos discussions follow a wider Chinese effort to expand AI cooperation with developing economies.
At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China announced plans to provide 5,000 AI training and seminar opportunities for developing countries during the next five years.
China also plans to establish international AI application cooperation centres with organisations including the African Union, ASEAN, BRICS and the League of Arab States. The initiatives build on its earlier AI Capacity-Building Action Plan, which identifies education, infrastructure, model development, industrial applications and AI governance as areas for international collaboration.
For Nigeria, these initiatives could support access to technical expertise and training. However, speakers at the Lagos Forum argued that sustainable cooperation should also create stronger local capabilities and allow African institutions to participate in how technologies are designed and deployed.
Nigeria Seeks a Bigger Role in the Global AI Economy
Nigeria already has a policy framework for expanding its domestic AI ecosystem. Its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy sets out a five-year approach covering AI infrastructure, talent development, adoption, ethics and governance.
The National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics has also identified international engagement as a strategic priority, including partnerships with international research institutions, knowledge transfer and participation in global AI governance discussions.
The need for greater international participation was highlighted in July when representatives from 29 countries signed the founding agreement for the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, headquartered in Shanghai. Nigeria was not among the founding signatories. Reporting on the agreement showed that 10 African countries joined the organisation at its creation.
Nigeria’s large population, expanding digital economy and technology ecosystem give it significant potential to participate in the AI economy. Converting that potential into a stronger global position will require greater investment in computing infrastructure, research, local datasets, skills and regulatory capacity.
China-Nigeria cooperation could support that transition if partnerships translate beyond training programmes into practical investment, local technology development and stronger institutions. The opportunity is therefore not only to expand AI use in Nigeria, but to increase the country’s ability to develop, govern and benefit economically from the technology.
Sources: Independent Newspaper Nigeria / BusinessDay / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China / NCAIR / Reuters
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