Kojo Boakye: Meta’s Investments, Infrastructure Crucial for Nigeria’s $1tn Economy

With Nigeria targeting a $1 trillion economy by 2030, Meta says sustained investments in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and connectivity remained critical to unlocking the country’s growth ambitions. In this interview with James Emejo, Meta Vice President for Public Policy, Africa, Middle East and Turkey, Mr. Kojo Boakye, discusses the findings of a recent Economic Impact Report, the significance of Meta’s investments in connectivity infrastructure, including the 2Africa submarine cable, and the growing role of AI in driving business growth, innovation and economic inclusion among others. Excerpts

The Meta economic impact report had just been launched here in Nigeria. Why is the market so important for you?

You know, sometimes I struggle with the word “market.” I’ll say Nigeria as a country is important for Meta. Many people talk about size, scale, all of those things. I think what we’re focused on is the way Nigerians use technology. Yes, there is demand — 250 million-plus people. Yes, there are 36 states plus the FCT that I’ve been working in for more than 22 years. I know that there’s a demand for it. But at the same time, we’ve noticed how Nigerians use technology.

And for us, as a technology company first, knowing the benefit technology can bring, it makes Nigeria important to us. You heard from the Honourable Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, about the patronage, even of AI — how AI is being used. He spoke about being a farmer on his own small farm. Some of the young people that are working on the farm — I understand that’s not typical — but because they’re using technology, drones, applications, AI to do those things, they’re working there. And we find that everywhere in Nigeria, the use of Meta AI, the use of WhatsApp, the use of Instagram, the use of Facebook, is being done in some of the most innovative ways. And on top of that, it’s changing people’s lives.

So, individuals that we have — many people see creators, many people see better contact with their family. But what we’re seeing with the launch of this Public First report is that at least 14 million business owners wake up every morning and their immediate thought — after their Bible or their Qur’an, after they kiss their wife or their husband — is to reach for their phone and say: “Ah, what’s my business today? How will I make my daily bread? How will I employ my people? How will I ensure I have profit? How will I be able to compete?” All of those things are why Nigeria is important to us because we know that our applications can support all of that. Very exciting to us indeed. More than a market, it’s a country that we put at the forefront of everything that we do.

So what exactly does the report tell us?

This report is telling us that Meta’s applications and Meta’s other investments in things like infrastructure — Edo and Ogun State infrastructure, the landing of 2Africa in Lagos, Lekki, but also at Qua Iboe in Akwa Ibom — the first time we’ve landed a submarine cable in this country outside of Lagos, because Meta understands that we can connect the whole country better if we have two landings on the continent. What it’s telling us is that Meta’s investments and Meta’s applications are critical to the future of this country. Absolutely critical to the now and to the future.

Government aims to have a $1 trillion economy. The digital economy will make up a massive part of that. If you think about 14 million businesses being dependent on our applications, if you think about the way AI — our open-source AI, which we’ve launched here for many years — has been downloaded by so many people, so many young entrepreneurs and startups are using it, it has become critical to those businesses. We know that our investments and our applications are critical to what we’re doing in this country, and that’s why things remain so important. That’s why we believe Meta is such an important part of the future.

And having a report from Public First that tells us concretely, “This is the evidence that we’re seeing,” it’s not just numbers that they’ve picked. They’ve gone out and they’ve spoken to Nigerians. And what’s important to you? I thought one of the stats — over 80 per cent of the people — say that Meta’s platforms are essential for their business. It’s enabled them to reach beyond their state. It’s enabled them to have business in international markets. The study tells us a lot.

Could you provide an update about the current status of the fibre optics cable you just refrenced. Are they still pipeline projects?

So we’ve landed those cables. This is part of the longest submarine cable in the world — 45,000 kilometres — and we’ve landed in two places in Nigeria. This is the cable that carries Nigerian data, Nigerian ideas, Nigerians’ demand for information around the continent. It also sends their business marketing, et cetera, around the continent.

But the biggest thing that it gives us is the foundational step — the real crux — of giving nationwide connectivity. The government has launched and raised money for one of the most ambitious projects globally — Project Bridge — 90,000 kilometres of terrestrial fibre.

Once that lands and connects everyone in Nigeria — you heard from the Minister about the plans, even for those in rural communities, no one will be left behind — but once that lands, to really give international connectivity, you need the submarine cable. Meta has built this for the future of Nigeria. And it’s already landed. We landed at Qua Iboe, as I’ve mentioned, and we landed in Lagos, as I’ve mentioned. Our partners — MTN, MainOne, Baobab — have helped us do that. The cables are ready. They’re fired up, ready to go.

Tell us how Meta been engaging and working with local partners and developers to ensure its impact is felt in the country?

I’ve been with Meta since 2016 — and at the heart of everything we do is partnership. We don’t come in and say, “We’ll do this, we’ll do that.” Everything is done with partners.

So, as I’ve mentioned, the landing of 2Africa was done with MTN, MainOne and Baobab. You heard about the data centre attached to the cable, which enables Nigerian businesses’ data to remain in Nigeria, or at least when it’s travelling, to travel fast and to travel closer. That was done with Rack Centre.  Everything is partnership.

The training that we’ve done — She Means Business, the new programme MetaTransform with AI for business owners and developers to integrate AI into their business activities — is being done in partnership with SMEDAN and Fate Foundation. And as you heard from NCC, from NITDA, from the Minister of Communications, Information and Digital Economy — we’ve been partnering for years in this country with investments, sharing knowledge, training people, and that will continue.

What challenges did the report unearth?

Infrastructure remains a challenge. We’re working on it. Government is working on it. You heard that the $2 billion required for Project Bridge has now been raised. The World Bank has made it project number one in their portfolio of digital infrastructure projects. You’ve heard that the Minister is rolling out 4,000 base stations to those rural areas that some operators say are not commercially viable. We’re connecting everybody.So, hopefully the infrastructure problem will be resolved.

Then what do you do to skills gap?

There’s been a lot of talk in Nigeria: “Do we have the capacity? Do we have the skills?” You saw the gentleman say he can’t find good people. I have a difference of opinion. I’m a Ghanaian. But I know when I come to Nigeria, I see entrepreneurship. I see passion. I see skill. I see desire for opportunity. Those things we have to help fulfil. Meta has to continue providing training. 

You’ve seen the government investing in training three million tech-savvy people. That’s another part that we have to resolve. And then the other thing is just the regulatory framework. How do we continue to get companies like Meta and other big companies, small companies, to continue investing?

How do we give them the sense of predictability with your regulatory and policy framework that says, “Okay, let me put my million there. Let me put my million here.”

Once you resolve those three things — infrastructure, training the amazing people who are already here, and then regulatory predictability for investors — you’re free.

How much can AI impact impact Nigeria’s GDP?

They say even our own investments — just Meta’s investments into Africa, some of the training we’re doing — should add $1.8 billion to GDP in less than 10 years, nine years.?You’ve heard the other person saying they’re aiming for $300 billion if they get the digital economy correct.

Those things I mentioned — infrastructure, policy and regulation, training — these are the sorts of things that are in front of us. But I think sometimes we’re focused on the economic numbers. They’re important because  you know, you get the economy right, you raise the boat.

But what we’ve also heard here is how these applications, how people are using Meta AI, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram to improve health outcomes, to improve educational outcomes, to improve all the outcomes that create a better social fabric as well. So, I think that’s what we should be excited by. Big numbers in GDP, but also those social impacts that we all want — better health, better education, better social integration, all of those things.

Beyond the report, what next should we expect from Meta?

We’re excited by what to expect next. But in my presentation, I spoke about complex conversations being had by governments and tech companies globally — everywhere. I’m very thankful that the ones we’re having here are positive. They’re difficult, but they’re positive.

And I said in that particular presentation that there’s so much common ground between us.

Everybody wants the Nigerian economy to thrive. Everybody wants to employ young people. Everyone wants to educate young people, create jobs, all of that kind of stuff. Meta wants the same thing that government wants.

So, we’re excited by having a predictable regulatory framework and being able to invest more — invest more in terrestrial infrastructure to connect people, invest more in training to train those young people, invest more in Meta AI to ensure that the applications are more fitting, more suited to Nigerians as well, alongside Nigerians doing things that fit. That’s what we’re excited by.

The federal government in partnership Meta launched a multilingual Artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, called GovGuide Nigeria, to improve access to government services and public information nationwide. How effective could this improve governance?

Well, one of the big things we hear from the public has been that they want better service delivery. Not just here. At my house in Accra, water was cut. I tried to get in contact with water services. It took too long. Everyone wants better government service delivery.

We found a partner here in the Ministry of Communications, Information and Digital Economy that also wants to drive better service delivery under His Excellency President Tinubu.

We are confident that this AI chatbot will drive better service delivery. You know, I ask my people, “Does this thing work?” They say, “It works, sir. We’ve tested it for a year.”

You heard the Honourable Minister also say he’s been testing it. Not just testing it in English or Pidgin — Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba — so it meets the needs of everybody.

So, we’re incredibly excited by what’s happening with this chatbot and also the fact that it’s an AI chatbot, which means really the more people use it, the more it will improve and learn. That’s what’s key for us.