MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey called for AI investment to produce measurable public gains, Premium Times reported, as BUILD 2026 organizers said infrastructure shortages constrain the region’s AI ecosystem.
The conference took place in Abuja on Oct. 21-22. The Nigeria AI Collective hosted it under the leadership of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. BUILD’s speaker list named Palfrey as a keynote speaker.
Premium Times reported that Palfrey urged governments, investors and technology developers to connect AI projects with results in health care, disability inclusion and gender equity. He also called for preserving lesser-spoken African languages.
BUILD organizers cited shortages in power, connectivity, skilled workers and network bandwidth. They listed locally owned computing infrastructure as a priority for Africa’s AI ecosystem.
MacArthur’s Nigeria Next strategy says 7% of young people in Nigeria have the digital skills needed to participate fully in the digital economy. The figure covers digital skills broadly and is not an AI-specific measure.
Nigeria’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program began its first phase in December 2023, selecting 30,000 fellows across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The 3MTT program lists AI and machine learning among its technical skills. MacArthur’s Nigeria Next initiative lists a $600,000 grant in 2026 to Blue Sapphire Hub in Kano to contribute to the program.
Voice of Nigeria separately reported that Luminate CEO Melanie Hui warned Africa could supply data, minerals and labor while other actors control AI infrastructure and capture more of its economic value.
