Nigeria’s Performance at Dubai AI Week 2025: A Bold Step for Tech Diplomacy and Global Innovation

Raheem Akingbolu

Nigeria made a compelling statement on the global stage last month as she led a prominent delegation to Dubai AI Week 2025, an international technology summit held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence in partnership with the Dubai Future Foundation.

Curated and hosted by Nigerian tech entrepreneur Folajimi Daodu, CEO of Vault Hill and Co-Founder of Safira Events, the Nigerian delegation featured some of the country’s foremost AI entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders. The delegation’s strong presence marked one of the most substantial from Africa and reflected Nigeria’s growing influence in the global digital economy.

Delegates included Yinka Iyinolakan (CDIAL), Omi Iyamu (AVA AI), Esther Iyamu (GrowthQ), Kayode Odeleye (Caena), Henry Ogbuagu (Vencapital), and Ayo Olatoye (Hult Business School). Throughout the week, they took part in keynotes, panels, workshops, and exhibitions across the Dubai AI Assembly and the Machines Can See Summit, showcasing Nigerian innovation in AI-driven education, branding, funding, and customer engagement.

One of the standout contributions was CDIAL’s demonstration of Indigenous AI and Stakestack AI, platforms developed to address local language processing and adaptive learning — attracting notable attention from international partners and investors.

The participation of the Nigerian delegation was seen as a practical extension of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places innovation, digital transformation, and international collaboration at the heart of national economic growth and youth empowerment.

This vision was echoed by the groundwork laid by groups like the Nigeria AI Collective and Data Science Nigeria, which continue to drive policy dialogue, technical capacity development, and grassroots engagement. Their work aligns with the Five Strategic Pillars outlined by Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy — spanning Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Innovation, and Capital.

Nigeria’s role at Dubai AI Week 2025 was described by observers as not merely symbolic, but strategic — demonstrating a shift from peripheral inclusion to central participation in global AI discourse.

As the summit concluded, it was clear that Nigeria’s digital future is not only being imagined — it is being built and exported