Today, through the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub (NAISH), we announced Nigeria's national shared compute infrastructure hosted by @Galaxybackbone and backed by the @gatesfoundation. Access to compute has become one of the defining constraints to AI innovation globally, so by creating shared national infrastructure, we can significantly reduce the barriers facing researchers, startups and public institutions, enabling them to build world-class AI solutions here in Nigeria. The Nigeria AI Scaling Hub (NAISH) is a national platform established to accelerate the adoption and scaling of Artificial Intelligence across Nigeria by connecting innovators, researchers, startups, government, academia and development partners. It provides the infrastructure, partnerships and support needed to move proven AI solutions from pilot to large-scale deployment, while expanding access to critical resources such as shared compute, strengthening collaboration across the ecosystem, and enabling AI innovation to address national priorities and compete globally. The launch of the Hub also marks the commencement of the Scaling AI for Development (SAID) Challenge, a practical initiative that will connect government institutions with Nigerian AI startups to solve real public sector challenges. My sincere appreciation to the @gatesfoundation, @LBSNigeria, @Galaxybackbone and every partner helping to build an AI ecosystem that is open, inclusive and capable of delivering meaningful impact for Nigerians. Applications for the Scaling AI for Development (SAID) Challenge are now open. If you are building proven AI solutions that can improve public service delivery, I encourage you to apply at naish.lbs.edu.ng. #NigerianExcellence