Dear Reader,


Two stories catch the eye; one about how the US wants Nigeria in particular to sign up to a UN-sponsored treaty that would limit the use of military Artificial Intelligence.

The Biden administration is particularly keen to enrol Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with the third-largest active duty army on the continent (behind Egypt and Algeria). Stewart’s bureau launched diplomatic outreach to Abuja in December and she followed up with a trip there last month.

“[Nigeria] would be a regional leader, hopefully, in communicating an interest from the Western African countries in the responsible use of AI,” Stewart says.

Meanwhile, however, there is new drone era opening in the Sahel to Nigeria’s north.

Drone strikes carried out by the Malians in Tinzawaten serve as a reminder that these aircraft are now a critical part of the Sahelian armies’ arsenal against jihadists. However, this approach can be a double-edged sword. We have a great video illustrate this.