Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has been named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI for 2025.
TIME Magazine unveiled the list on Thursday, celebrating global leaders, innovators, and thinkers shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
Reacting to the recognition in a post on X, Tijani said his inclusion highlights Nigeria’s growing role in shaping the global AI landscape.
“This honour is a reflection of the collective effort of innovators and partners who believe in the potential of AI to transform societies,” Tijani said.
Over the past two years, Tijani has led initiatives aimed at fostering AI development in Nigeria, working with partners like Google and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to scale locally built AI solutions. These efforts provide mentorship, funding, and resources to help Nigerian innovators translate ideas into impact.
He also highlighted the launch of the AI Collectiv, a community of researchers and practitioners supported by the Luminate Group, and the establishment of the AI Trust, a national body ensuring sustained investment and responsible development of AI technologies.
Tijani said the recognition reinforces Nigeria’s ambition to become a global leader in responsible and inclusive AI adoption, aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy.
Others featured on TIME’s AI 100 list include Elon Musk (xAI), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Andy Jassy (Amazon), and Matthew Prince (Cloudflare).
