Emma Okonji

At the recently 4th Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics Summit organised by the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) in Owerri, Imo State, the society collaborated with the state government to form an alliance that will fast-track the region’s digital economy plans, through the launch of AI Innovation Hub.

The three-day summit was held from April 23 to 25,  and brought together researchers, start-ups, investors, and policy-makers from across West Africa.

Declaring the summit open, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, said the state government remained determined to set the national pace in Artificial Intelligence, adding that his administration has allocated new funds for broadband and innovation hub, including Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education scholarships.
NCS President Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu, described the gathering as “the Society’s most ambitious summit,” stressing that closer state–professional collaboration is vital if Nigeria is to implement the National AI Strategy unveiled by the Federal Ministry of Communications last December. He highlighted sessions on ethical governance, local-language large-language model development, and AI-driven precision agriculture as areas where Imo State can pilot quick wins.
Tech entrepreneur and Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, in his keynote address at the opening of the summit, praised the governor’s “record-breaking” spend on human-capital development, urging Nigerian banks to align public commitments with seed funding for South East founders.

With the theme: “Enabling Artificial Intelligence Systems for Rapid National Growth,” the summit combined high-level policy dialogue with hands-on innovation.

Delegates at the summit transitioned from keynote debates to technical workshops, and participated in an AI challenge student hackathon.

Executive Secretary of NCS, Mr. Segun Adekunle, said NCS would continue to promote smart-city deployment and generative AI applications in health and education, through such summits.

This year’s summit came to a close with the presentation of hackathon winners and the signing of a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nigeria Computer Society and the Imo State government.