Nigeria and other African countries have been urged to strengthen control over their data and digital infrastructure as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central to economic development and public services.
The call was made during discussions at the second edition of GITEX Nigeria in Lagos, where technology stakeholders examined the continent’s readiness to participate meaningfully in the emerging AI economy.
Speakers stressed that AI development should go beyond adopting foreign technologies, arguing that African countries must build the capacity to develop, secure, and govern the infrastructure, data, and systems powering their digital economies.
A primary concern raised during the sessions was the ownership and control of data.
Participants noted that different categories of data carry varying levels of strategic importance and should not automatically be treated the same way.
They identified sectors such as defence, financial services, healthcare, and other critical national systems as requiring stronger protection due to the severe implications of losing control over such information.
The discussion also highlighted the need for clearer data governance frameworks to determine how data is collected, processed, stored, and shared.
While speakers acknowledged that Nigeria has already taken positive steps through its data protection framework, they emphasized that data protection alone is insufficient to establish true digital sovereignty.
They called for closer coordination among data governance, AI policy, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure strategies.
Participants also advocated for the greater adoption of open-source AI, enabling African developers and researchers to contribute to and refine AI systems rather than remaining passive consumers of foreign technologies.
They noted that open-source models offer young African developers valuable opportunities to build expertise, contribute improvements, and tailor solutions to local needs.
The discussion also addressed the urgent need for investment in computing infrastructure, including the data centres and specialized facilities required to develop and deploy AI systems.
Speakers argued that governments, development finance institutions, private investors, and technology companies must collaborate to close Africa’s infrastructure deficit.
Despite the continent’s large population and significant economic potential, it still accounts for only a fraction of global computing capacity.
The speakers also called for innovative financing mechanisms to support AI and digital infrastructure projects across the region.
Market fragmentation emerged as another critical issue. Participants argued that African nations must advance digital integration to allow technology companies to build products and services for a unified continental market rather than fragmented national ones.
They called for the harmonization of regulations, taxation, and cross-border operational requirements, noting that a technology firm should not have to overhaul its operations entirely whenever expanding into another African market. An integrated regulatory environment, they maintained, would spur innovation, attract investment, and accelerate the growth of domestic tech enterprises.
The discussion highlighted opportunities for Nigeria and its peers to leverage technology across high-potential sectors, including energy, agriculture, financial services, and the creative economy.
Speakers concluded that the trajectory of Africa’s AI revolution will depend not merely on the technologies it adopts, but on its ability to own and govern the underlying data, infrastructure, and systems. They called for decisive continental collaboration across AI research, data governance, computing infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital trade to secure Africa’s place in the global digital economy.