The Federal Government on Thursday officially launched the ATLAS Network, a continental artificial intelligence initiative aimed at accelerating the development of locally relevant large language models across Africa. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, unveiled the initiative at the opening session of the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26) in Abuja, with Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima as the Special Guest of Honour. Tijani said the initiative builds on Nigeria’s N-ATLAS programme and will bring together governments, researchers, academia, innovators, and ecosystem partners. He noted that fewer than 2% of Africa’s languages are meaningfully supported by modern AI systems, despite the continent being home to nearly one-third of the world’s languages. He invited member states to join the initiative and urged delegates to strengthen partnerships. Representing Vice President Shettima, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia said global technology policies have been developed without adequate representation of African priorities. Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union, John Omo, described the conference as a pivotal moment for the continent’s digital future.