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President Bola Tinubu has called for the establishment of global ethical standards to guide the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence, insisting the rapidly evolving technology must remain a force for human progress rather than exclusion. His message was delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima during the Third Session of the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, which focused on critical minerals, decent work and AI.
Tinubu warned that while AI offers immense potential to accelerate development worldwide, it also carries risks of deepening inequality if not properly regulated. He said Nigeria supports the creation of global AI principles rooted in safety, transparency and equity, adding that the technology should empower communities, create jobs and bridge social gaps rather than widen them.
He urged G20 leaders to promote stronger partnerships between developed and developing countries, as well as between public and private sectors, to ensure technological progress includes everyone. Tinubu stressed that the world must confront systemic bias and commit to multilateral dialogue to guarantee that AI’s benefits are shared fairly and its risks managed responsibly.
Turning to Africa’s mineral wealth, the President said the continent must no longer serve as a mere exporter of raw materials. He called for a global framework that supports value addition at the source and ensures mineral-rich communities directly benefit from their resources. Tinubu argued that fairness, responsible extraction and accountability are essential to building a more just global economic system.
He added that Nigeria, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, is expanding investment in digital literacy, skills training and youth entrepreneurship to prepare its workforce for the evolving demands of the global economy. Decent work, he said, remains central to ensuring that technological and economic transitions are fair and inclusive.
In a separate contribution at the Summit, Tinubu said global financial structures must be redesigned to reflect current realities, insisting that many existing institutions were built for a world that no longer exists. He argued that without bold reforms, global trade will remain unequal and debt crises will continue to destabilise developing nations. He urged the G20 to prioritise debt sustainability and fair mineral governance to support the developmental aspirations of countries in the Global South.
Tinubu postponed his own trip to the Summit, citing security breaches in Kebbi and Kwara States, and was represented by Vice President Shettima, who departed Abuja on Friday.
