The race to shape Africa’s artificial intelligence future is no longer about who adopts technology first. It is increasingly about who can build, govern, and deploy it responsibly.
That message took centre stage in Abuja as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) reaffirmed its ambition to position Nigeria as a leading force in Africa’s AI economy, insisting that the country’s digital transformation must be anchored on trust, local innovation, and digital sovereignty.
Speaking at the AI Summit Nigeria 2026, hosted by Microsoft in Abuja, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, described artificial intelligence as a game-changing technology with the power to transform every sector of the economy. His remarks, delivered by NITDA’s Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, Barr. Emmanuel Edet, stressed that responsible adoption remains the foundation for unlocking AI’s full potential.
“Without public trust, AI adoption will be stalled,” Inuwa noted. “Without accountability, innovation will not scale sustainably, and without transparency, citizens will lose confidence in the systems designed to serve them.”
The summit, themed *From Policy to Progress: Accelerating Responsible AI Adoption for Nigeria’s Digital Decade*, brought together government leaders, regulators, technology companies, and industry stakeholders in a joint effort by Microsoft, NITDA, and MTN to move the country’s AI ambitions from strategy to implementation.
For Inuwa, the conversation around artificial intelligence goes beyond deploying new tools. It is also about redefining Nigeria’s place in the global digital economy.
For decades, African countries have largely consumed technologies designed elsewhere. The NITDA chief argued that the continent now has an opportunity to become an active contributor to the next wave of technological innovation.
“We must become creators of intelligence rooted in our realities and responsive to our aspirations,” Inuwa urged. “We must build local talent, strengthen research ecosystems and create an enabling environment where Nigerian and African solutions can thrive.”
He added that Africa must take part in shaping the global AI landscape rather than simply adjusting to systems developed in other parts of the world.
The call for homegrown innovation was echoed by Microsoft’s Director of Government Affairs for West Africa, Nonye Ujam, who commended Nigeria’s progress in developing its National AI Strategy and strengthening its regulatory framework.
However, she challenged stakeholders to move beyond policy documents and focus on delivering practical solutions that improve the lives of citizens, strengthen businesses, and increase government efficiency.
According to Ujam, successful AI adoption depends on more than technological capability. It also requires strong governance systems, reliable infrastructure, and institutions that can support innovation while upholding principles of fairness, security, transparency, and accountability.
The summit also sparked critical discussions around regulatory certainty, data governance, digital sovereignty, and the need to strike the right balance between innovation and national control in a rapidly evolving technology ecosystem.
The presence of major public institutions, including the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Identity Management Commission, and Galaxy Backbone, underscored growing momentum behind Nigeria’s digital agenda and signalled an increasingly coordinated approach to preparing the country for an AI-driven future.
As conversations around artificial intelligence intensify across the globe, Nigeria does not intend to be a passive observer in the AI revolution. It wants to help shape it, and it plans to do so on its own terms.
