_edited.jpg)
Elevating African Stakeholders' Advocacy and Cooperation on Frontier AI Risk: Highlights from Stakeholders' Dialogue on Frontier AI in Nigeria
Continued advancement in frontier AI presents unprecedented opportunities for socio-economic development, as well as complex global risks. Efforts to govern frontier AI continue to reflect divergent consensus on the best approach. However, many emerging multi-stakeholder governance proposals emphasize the importance of safety standards, improved national and regional coordination, and international cooperation.
As the implications of frontier AI concerns transcend borders, African stakeholders must not be left behind in discussions and governance; national multi-agency coordination and regional integration are necessary to address multi-sectoral threats, as is global cooperation to establish international frameworks.
At the Tech Governance Project, one of our main goals is to advance African stakeholders' engagement and cooperation on frontier AI risk governance—to help in the establishment of inclusive and adaptive governance to manage AI risk and reduce harm to peace and security. To advance these goals, we convene strategic stakeholder engagements and dialogues to foster shared understanding, consensus, and cooperation. In this realm, we hosted a high-level stakeholder consultation on frontier AI in Nigeria on 7 October 2026. The dialogue brought together key government officials, the innovation ecosystem, academia, and civil society groups to strengthen strategic coordination and cooperation on these issues and broaden consensus and momentum on frontier AI.
The consultation promoted active participation; government stakeholders discussed governance progress and readiness on frontier AI issues, while AI safety experts focused on enhancing shared understanding of the security, social, and economic threats posed by advanced foundation models (frontier AI), and on governance approaches, concerns, and the way forward. Key highlights from the events include:
Government Insights: Various government agencies shared valuable insights on their existing efforts and readiness to manage the implications of frontier AI. Keynote interventions included those from the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy; National Data Protection Commission; National Biosafety Management Agency; and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
Panel Discussions: Experts on two panels addressed systemic risks such as biosecurity threats, cyber vulnerabilities, loss of control, and the need for enhanced international cooperation while preserving sovereignty. Panelists included AI safety researchers and advocates, a biosecurity expert, and cybersecurity and policy experts.
Co-creation Workshop: Participants were divided into two groups for a co-creation workshop focused on formulating strategic priorities to enhance national multi-sectoral and regional coordination, as well as priorities for international cooperation on frontier AI. Session 1 aims to pinpoint ways to enhance inter-agency coordination for managing frontier AI by identifying existing leverage, opportunities, gaps, and barriers to coordination, and how to navigate them. Session 2 aims to broaden consensus on strategic priorities to enhance regional governance integration and global diplomatic engagement on frontier AI governance.
The co-creation outputs are intended to culminate in an actionable advisory policy brief for key policymakers and government agencies in Nigeria. The dialogue underscored the importance of collective action in establishing robust governance frameworks that balance innovation with safety.
Comments