Nigeria aims for indigenous AI capacity to achieve $1 trillion economy goal
Nigeria is striving to enhance its domestic artificial intelligence capabilities and digital infrastructure to support its goal of a $1 trillion economy. Policymakers are advocating for a shift from consuming foreign technology to developing and exporting locally-built solutions. Senator Dr. George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, emphasized the need for Nigeria to move beyond basic connectivity and build indigenous innovation and digital sovereignty. He made these remarks at the opening of GITEX NIGERIA 2026 in Abuja, an event that brought together government officials, technology executives, investors, and digital economy stakeholders for the Government Leadership & AI Summit. Akume stated that under President Bola Tinubu's vision and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is boldly driving towards a $1 trillion economy, which necessitates indigenous innovation and digital sovereignty. Kashifu Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, highlighted ongoing investments in technical skills, connectivity, cloud infrastructure, and regulation to build the foundations for digital sovereignty. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu noted that Africa's reliance on overseas computing infrastructure presents both a challenge and an investment opportunity, particularly as Africa's AI workloads are currently processed in Europe, creating latency, cost, and data-sovereignty issues. GITEX NIGERIA 2026, held under President B
