The Senate has passed through the second reading, a bill seeking the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence, Innovation and Communication Technology Solutions Centre, Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The bill , marked S.B 763 (2025) , was sponsored by Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South Senatorial District)was read for the first time in the red chamber on Tuesday, May, 27, 2025.
Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill at the plenary yesterday, Adaramodu observed that artificial intelligence (Al), digital innovation, and emerging technologies have become the backbone of modern governance, commerce, education, health care, and national security.
According to him, any nation that failed to invest strategically in these technologies risk being left behind in the 21st-century knowledge economy.
Adaramodu explained thag the bill provides the necessary legal framework to build capacity, coordinate innovation, and ensure that Al serves as a tool for national development rather than displacement.
He said the bill has clear and forward-looking objectives, which include to :promote research and innovation in Al, robotics, data science, and related technologies; encourage collaboration between government, industry, and academic institutions and build the capacity of young Nigerians to acquire digital and Al-based skills for employment and entrepreneurship, amongst others.
He explained that the proposed centre will serve as a national hub for research, development, and innovation in artificial intelligence and communication technology.
Adaramodu argued that the choice of Omuo-Ekiti as the location of this Centre was strategic as Ekiti State had long been recognized as a hub of education, knowledge, and intellectual capital in Nigeria.
“The establishment of this Centre in Omuo-Ekiti will not only stimulate research and innovation but also catalyze economic development in the South-West region and across the nation.
“When established, the Centre will serve as a national platform for developing homegrown digital solutions to local challenges in agriculture, health, education, and public service delivery; empower Nigerian youths to compete globally in the Al and tech ecosystem as well as reduce dependence on imported technologies by fostering indigenous innovation,” he said.
He urged his colleagues to support the bill, as Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind. Adaramodu allayed the fears iv his colleagues on the cost implications of the bill, insisting that it was not about creating another bureaucracy but about creating a centre of excellence that will serve as a catalyst for sustainable innovation and digital transformation in the country.
