Nigeria Must Invest More in Local Talent to Drive Its AI Revolution, Stakeholders Say

Nigeria cannot afford to remain mainly a consumer of technology as artificial intelligence and cloud computing reshape economies, stakeholders said at a summit in Lagos. Their message was direct: the country’s AI ambitions must begin with local talent, local expertise and greater ownership of digital infrastructure.

The Huawei Nigeria AI and Cloud Summit, held on Aug. 27 under the theme “Built Local, Built Intelligent,” brought together industry leaders, government representatives and technology experts. They discussed how Nigeria could position itself as a major force in Africa’s emerging AI economy by developing solutions tailored to its own economic and social challenges.

Representing Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, the governor’s special adviser on tax and revenue, Abdulkabir Opeyemi, said Nigeria needed to move beyond imported technology. Hamzat said local solutions should anchor the country’s transformation, while international partnerships should remain part of the strategy. “Innovation that is merely imported is temporary. Innovation built locally, with local capacity and local ownership, is what endures and multiplies,” he said.

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Innovation that is merely imported is temporary. Innovation built locally, with local capacity and local ownership, is what endures and multiplies.

He added: “Building local intelligence does not mean building in isolation. It means building with the right global partners, on our own terms, and for our own benefit.” He described AI and cloud technologies as practical tools for healthcare, agriculture, public administration and national security, as well as possible sources of jobs for Nigeria’s large youth population.

Huawei Nigeria chief executive Austin You said the company had supported Nigeria’s digital transformation for 27 years through telecommunications, data centres, renewable energy, skills development and cloud services. He said Huawei had trained more than 100,000 Nigerians and created more than 250 ICT academies. Nigeria’s population, growing market, digital infrastructure and human capital, he said, give the country the ingredients to become a leading force in Africa’s AI ecosystem.

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Building local intelligence does not mean building in isolation. It means building with the right global partners, on our own terms, and for our own benefit.