Key Points

• AI skills training for public servants aims to close the government tech gap.

• Recognition tools will spotlight staff adoption and stories.

• Training delivered via the Government AI Campus over weeks.

On Thursday, Google started a new program to teach Nigeria’s civil servants how to use AI.
The move shows how hard people are working to modernise government services and bring new technology into public administration.

Minister Dr. Bosun Tijani said that the plan is based on President Tinubu’s goal of a $1 trillion economy.
He spoke at the launch in Abuja, where he was joined by Google and Apolitical to talk about the AI skills training program for government workers.

Why it is important for government workers

Nigeria has been working on its AI infrastructure for years, with things like national strategies, trust funds, and even an AI LLM model. But not many government workers know how to use those tools.

According to a report by Vanguard news, Tijani pointed out the gap: “You can open as many AI labs as you want, but if the people in charge of the government don’t use them, nothing changes.”
That’s where the training comes in: it’s meant to teach public workers how to use AI in their daily work and give them the confidence to do so.

What the training is about

The Government AI Campus will offer structured modules from Google and Apolitical.
Some of the topics are the basics of AI, ethics, and how to use leadership for public service.
First, senior officials train, then middle managers, and finally civil servants from all ministries.
Participants will also join global peer networks to share their experiences.

How the rollout will happen

The program will last for weeks before and after the launch, and it will use email, internal communications, and social media to get the word out.
WhatsApp and Telegram are community channels that will send out prompts and status updates.
Civil servants and managers who share their stories about how they used AI will be rewarded with recognition templates like “Story of the Month” and “CM Storytelling Champion.”

The output is templates made in Canva or PowerPoint that can be changed and used by both the public and the company.
These resources will help the government get employees involved and keep the rollout going.