Joint Statement on Harnessing Artificial Intelligence, Facilitating Data Flows and Empowering Digital Upskilling Between the United States Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy

The text of the following statement was released by the United States Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to bolster collaboration in the digital economy, a key pillar of cooperation outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed this week by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Nigeria’s Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, to launch the U.S.-Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership.

This joint statement also follows Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman’s recent visit to Nigeria, where he met with Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Olatunbosun Tijani, on behalf of Secretary Raimondo.

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and Nigerian Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Olatunbosun Tijani affirm their shared priorities for strengthening the digital economy, promoting innovation, and increasing digital trade and investment between Nigeria and the United States.  Secretary Raimondo and Minister Tijani note the potential benefits of the digital economy, including economic growth, job creation, and the fostering of an inclusive, equitable, ethical, and sustainable digital future for our citizens and the global community.

Secretary Raimondo and Minister Tijani acknowledge the transformative possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) to shape economies and societies—across many sectors and in people’s daily lives—and the importance of harnessing the power of AI for good while mitigating its risks.  Secretary Raimondo and Minister Tijani affirm the imperative to implement the recent United Nations General Assembly resolution on “Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development” (A/78/L.49) and note the important role that trusted and secure information and communications technology (ICT), data privacy, data protection, and cross-border data transfers play in developing critical and emerging technologies like AI.  They also reaffirm their intention to cooperate on establishing interoperable privacy frameworks and facilitating trusted cross-border data flows consistent with domestic law, privacy and civil liberties.

The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy note that investing in the digital capacity of the workforce is critical to realizing the potential of digitalization and AI.  A shared core objective of both the United States Digital Transformation with Africa initiative and Nigeria’s Strategic Plan for the Digital Economy Sector (2023) is for human capital development to facilitate inclusive access to important digital skills. The goal for this objective is to empower a skilled workforce to effectively learn and apply emerging technologies and become active and safe participants in the digital economy.

Secretary Raimondo and Minister Tijani intend to foster cooperation between our governments and industry in the following areas:

Data Protection and Cross-Border Data Transfers

• The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy affirm our shared priorities to promote innovation, advance AI and foster an open, interoperable, reliable and secure Internet.
• The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy recognize that the ability to aggregate, store, process, and safely and securely transmit data across borders is critical to the development of the digital economy and innovation. This need can be addressed by promoting robust data protections and enforcement while fostering interoperable mechanisms to facilitate cross-border data flows, including those essential to the development of emerging technologies like AI. To further the development of secure and enabling technologies like the cloud, both nations intend to explore ways to strengthen cooperation in cloud security and cloud applications to facilitate innovation, protect data, and mitigate cybersecurity risks. The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy also emphasize the importance of secure and reliable ICT in fostering a vibrant digital economy.
• Recognizing that these critical and emerging technologies also pose new challenges for policymakers and regulators, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission intend to promote data protection best practices, enhance data protection training and capacity building in our bilateral and multilateral relationships, and explore innovative solutions, such as participating in collaborative fora—like the Global Cross Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) Forum—to establish interoperable data ecosystems that prioritize robust data protection measures, facilitate data flows across borders, and encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing, and technological innovation.
• To further advance our shared objectives, the U.S. Department of Commerce expresses support for the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s engagement with the Global CBPR Forum and its consideration to participate in the Forum, which could provide Nigerian organizations with an additional tool to facilitate trusted data transfers, enhancing interoperability while upholding robust data protection safeguards.

Artificial Intelligence

• Emphasizing the indispensable role of data in fueling AI innovation and development, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy are committed to identifying areas of alignment and possible cooperation in our respective approaches to AI governance and adoption, including potential engagement with and between the National Institute for Standards and Technology’s U.S. AI Safety Institute and with the Nigerian Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), with a focus on exchanging knowledge and best practices for the development and deployment of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.
• The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy intend to cooperate on identifying opportunities for participation in AI research and international standards development. Secretary Raimondo and Minister Tijani applauded the global consensus achieved by the UN General Assembly resolution on “Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development.”
• The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy intend to work together to identify how AI can help meet the shared needs of our economies and how AI adoption can advance our shared priorities in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare.
• The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy also intend to cooperate in the enhancement of the AI environment, including collaboration on our approaches to key areas such as:  data, trusted digital infrastructure, power/green energy, AI governance policies, computing resources, digital skills relevant to AI, and engagement with stakeholders including governments, industry specific organizations, academia, labor organizations, and civil society.

Digital Upskilling

• Advancements in labor saving technologies pose a new challenge for policy makers to uplift their workforce and to address the growing gap in digital literacy skills. The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy are committed to working together and with other countries to promote a digital economy that facilitates inclusive access to digital skills and literacy, particularly for youth, women, and under-represented communities.
• In support of the United States Digital Transformation with Africa and digital upskilling in the region, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunication and Information Administration, through grants and in partnership with the U.S. Telecommunication Training Institute, intends to draw from applicants across Africa including Nigeria to provide training, networking, and mentorship opportunities to help develop the next generation of women tech leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa.

Based on this shared understanding, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy intend to promote the adoption and implementation of policies and rules in our bilateral and multilateral economic relationships that support interoperability between our two privacy regimes and that identify areas of cooperation in our respective approaches to AI and digital upskilling.

The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy issue this joint statement without prejudice to their rights and obligations arising from the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO). This joint statement does not create binding obligations under domestic or international law.