Nigeria’s ambition to secure greater control over the technologies, data and infrastructure shaping its digital future took centre stage on September 1 at the opening of GITEX Nigeria 2026 in Abuja, with the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, calling for stronger national capacity in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and data governance.
The DG, who opened the second edition of the event, said Nigeria’s pursuit of artificial intelligence (AI) sovereignty must extend beyond developing applications to controlling the wider technology ecosystem on which AI depends.
He identified connectivity, computing capacity, data centres, cloud infrastructure, data, algorithms and appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks as critical components of Nigeria’s digital self-determination.
According to him, the question of AI sovereignty is ultimately about who owns, controls and governs the systems that increasingly influence critical sectors of society.
“If we don’t have control over it, whoever controls that AI can manipulate us, can control everything we do,” he warned.
The NITDA Director-General said Nigeria could not afford to miss the current technological revolution after failing to fully capitalise on previous industrial and technological transformations.
He urged the country to treat the current AI-driven transformation as a strategic opportunity to build domestic capabilities rather than remain dependent on technologies developed and controlled elsewhere.
Kashifu also highlighted the need for increased investment in data centres and cloud infrastructure, noting that recent regulatory measures on cloud and data sovereignty could provide a foundation for attracting investment while strengthening Nigeria’s control over critical digital resources.
The discussions at GITEX Nigeria 2026 also highlighted the importance of connectivity as a foundation for Nigeria’s AI ambitions.
One of the major initiatives highlighted was Project BRIDGE, designed to expand broadband access through the deployment of 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre infrastructure across the country.
The initiative was presented as part of the broader effort to establish the infrastructure required for a more digitally connected and technologically resilient Nigeria.
The push for sovereignty, however, was not framed as a call for isolation.
Stakeholders at the event stressed that greater national control over AI should coexist with international collaboration, investment and knowledge exchange. The objective, therefore, is to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate on more equal terms in the global technology ecosystem rather than close the country off from it.
Representing the Lagos State Government, Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Olatunbosun Alake, linked Nigeria’s digital transformation to the broader economic reforms underway in the country.
Alake described Nigeria as moving from a “country of risk” towards a “country of return”, arguing that reforms undertaken by the Federal Government were helping to create conditions for renewed investment.
He particularly referenced the removal of fuel subsidy, describing the previous subsidy regime as a mechanism through which the country was effectively “consuming the future to pay for the present”.
He argued that removing the subsidy had helped the country confront structural challenges and redirect attention towards investments capable of supporting long-term growth.
Against this backdrop, Alake positioned Lagos as a major investment and technology hub, highlighting the state’s expanding digital infrastructure and its efforts to attract capital into technology, data centres and innovation.
He said Lagos had deployed 3,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable between 2019 and 2025 and was pursuing investment in 30,000 kilometres of fibre ducts along key economic corridors. The state is also targeting more than 250 megawatts of data-centre capacity by 2035.
Alake urged investors to see Lagos not merely as a market for technology products but as a platform from which technology can be developed and deployed.
“Do not treat Lagos as a market to sell to. Treat Lagos as a platform to build from,” he said.
He also pointed to the growing importance of digital identity, know-your-customer (KYC) systems and paperless government processes as Nigeria moves towards a more digitally enabled public sector.
The question of sovereignty also featured prominently in discussions around governance.
Inuwa said Nigeria’s first steps towards responsible AI governance must include strong data protection and legal frameworks capable of regulating emerging technologies.
He pointed to the Nigeria Data Protection Act as part of the foundation for establishing stronger governance around data, while stressing that legal frameworks must evolve alongside technological development.
The concern, he noted, goes beyond who develops an AI system to questions about where its data is stored, who operates it, which laws govern it and who ultimately has control over its deployment.
These questions become particularly important as AI systems increasingly enter sensitive areas such as finance, healthcare, education and government services.
Project BRIDGE also attracted attention during the event, with participants commending the initiative for its potential to expand broadband access and provide the connectivity required for Nigeria’s digital transformation.
The initiative’s beneficiaries were among those present, reinforcing the practical dimension of the country’s digital infrastructure programme.
The discussions around BRIDGE reflected a broader point emerging from the summit: AI sovereignty cannot be achieved through algorithms alone. It requires the underlying connectivity, infrastructure, talent, data systems, governance structures and public trust needed to support them.
The conversations at GITEX Nigeria 2026 therefore extended beyond the development of new technologies to questions of national resilience, economic security and strategic autonomy.
For Nigeria, the emerging AI era presents both an opportunity and a risk. Greater control over data, infrastructure and technology could strengthen the country’s ability to protect its citizens, economy and critical systems. Continued dependence on external infrastructure and technologies, however, could create new vulnerabilities.
As GITEX Nigeria continues across Abuja and Lagos, the central question remains whether Nigeria can translate its ambition for sovereign AI into the infrastructure, policies, investments and capabilities required to control its digital future while remaining open to global partnerships and innovation.
