Rabat – Nigeria has placed artificial intelligence sovereignty at the center of its digital agenda, with government officials calling for greater national control over the infrastructure, data and technologies that will shape the country’s digital future.
The message came at the opening of GITEX Nigeria 2026 in Abuja, where policymakers and technology leaders gathered to discuss Nigeria’s ability to develop and manage critical digital technologies at home.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said artificial intelligence should no longer be viewed simply as another technological tool. For Nigeria, he argued, control over AI has become a matter of economic resilience, national security, and digital independence.
He said AI sovereignty must cover the full technology chain, from internet connectivity and computing capacity to data centers, cloud infrastructure, data governance, and AI models.
“As a nation, we have the capacity to build and develop the technology that can help us to build the intelligence about our nation. We need to start thinking about connectivity, compute power, data centers, cloud capability,” Inuwa said.
The NITDA chief also called for greater Nigerian ownership of AI technologies, algorithms and data. Without strong control over national data and the systems that process it, he warned, Nigeria could struggle to develop AI tools that respond effectively to its own economic and social realities.
The question extends beyond who develops an AI system. Inuwa also raised concerns over who controls systems once they enter critical sectors such as finance, healthcare and education.
If foreign-controlled systems become deeply embedded in essential services, he cautioned, Nigeria could face risks linked to external influence, manipulation and a loss of control over decisions that affect its citizens.
Recent regulatory measures on cloud and data sovereignty, he said, represent steps toward a stronger domestic digital ecosystem and could help attract investment in data centers and related infrastructure.
From consumer to technology producer
Also during this year’s summit, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office, Bekearedebo Warrens, said Nigeria must change its position in the global technology economy.
Rather than rely on solutions developed abroad, Nigeria should build the capacity to create, own and export its digital products and AI systems, he said.
“These reforms capture the very essence of where Nigeria is headed, not merely as a consumer of technology, but as a builder, producer and exporter of digital solutions and artificial intelligence,” Akume said.
He pointed to digital identity, broadband access, cloud infrastructure, data centers, and technology skills as key pillars of the government’s digital transformation agenda.
Akume said reforms linked to the National Identity Management Commission would reinforce Nigeria’s ability to manage its digital identity infrastructure and protect national data.
The government is also pursuing Project Bridge, a major fiber-optic expansion plan that aims to cover about 90,000 kilometers across the country. The network is expected to connect states, local government areas and wards while expanding broadband access to communities that remain underserved.
Building the workforce behind AI
But since infrastructure alone will not give Nigeria technological independence, the government has also placed considerable emphasis on skills.
Akume cited the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, which has recorded about 1.87 million registrations across all 774 local government areas. More than 125,000 Nigerians have received training, with AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity and software engineering among the areas covered.
The objective is to develop a workforce that can create digital products locally instead of limiting Nigeria’s role to technology consumption.
Cloud infrastructure remains another priority. Akume said the newly unveiled National Digital Cloud Policy seeks to attract $750 million in private investment in cloud and data infrastructure over the next 24 months.
The policy, he said, will complement Project Bridge and 3MTT by bringing together infrastructure, technical skills, government demand and private capital.
He also urged public institutions and private-sector players to use GITEX Nigeria as a place for concrete partnerships and investment rather than another forum for broad promises.
Nigeria, he said, already has many of the basic ingredients required for a sovereign digital economy. The next challenge is to connect those efforts and turn them into practical results.
For NITDA, GITEX Nigeria also offers a wider African platform to assess the continent’s progress on AI and consider what it will take for African countries to gain greater control over the technologies that increasingly shape their economies and societies.
The debate in Abuja therefore goes beyond AI itself. At stake is who owns the data, infrastructure and systems that will define the next phase of Nigeria’s digital economy.
GITEX Nigeria 2026, held from August 31 to September 3 across Abuja and Lagos, brings together technology companies, startups, investors, government officials and digital industry leaders to examine the technologies expected to shape West Africa’s digital future.
The event covers areas such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, fintech, startups, and broader digital transformation.
A central focus this year is sovereign AI and digital independence, with discussions on how African countries can reduce reliance on imported technologies and develop their own AI systems, infrastructure and talent.
The event also provides a platform to explore investment, skills development and local innovation as Nigeria and other African countries seek a stronger position in the global digital economy.
