The 2026 edition of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX Nigeria) has commenced in Abuja, with the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, calling for urgent action to strengthen Nigeria’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) sovereignty.
Inuwa warned that Nigeria’s growing dependence on externally controlled AI technologies could pose serious risks to the nation’s economy, citizens and national security, stressing the need for the country to develop the capacity to determine how AI is built, deployed and governed.
Speaking at the opening of GITEX Nigeria 2026, the NITDA DG said AI sovereignty should be understood as more than a geopolitical concept, describing it as a comprehensive national capacity covering the entire technology ecosystem.
“We need to look at it end-to-end, the entire technology stack, not just the AI itself,” Inuwa said.
He identified connectivity, data centres and cloud infrastructure as critical components of Nigeria’s AI ecosystem, noting that the country’s ability to develop and deploy AI technologies would depend largely on the strength and ownership of these foundational digital infrastructures.
According to him, the recent signing of regulatory instruments on cloud and data sovereignty represents an important step towards encouraging the development of data centres and strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
Inuwa also called for greater Nigerian ownership of AI technologies, algorithms and data, stressing that strong data sovereignty and effective governance were essential to developing AI models capable of addressing the country’s unique needs.
He explained that access to quality Nigerian data would be particularly important in ensuring that AI systems deployed in the country reflect its realities, culture, economy and development priorities.
Beyond infrastructure and ownership, the NITDA boss drew attention to the issue of operational sovereignty, particularly who controls AI systems deployed across critical sectors of the economy.
He cited sectors such as finance, healthcare and education, questioning whether AI systems operating in these areas are sufficiently subject to Nigerian laws and regulatory oversight.
“If we don’t have control over it, whoever controls that AI can manipulate us, can control everything we do,” he warned.
Inuwa said Nigeria must therefore move beyond being merely a consumer of AI technologies to becoming an active developer, owner and regulator of the technologies shaping its digital future.
He added that NITDA’s initiatives under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Nigeria First Policy are anchored on strengthening the country’s digital sovereignty through interconnected priorities, including digital sovereignty, data sovereignty, cloud sovereignty and AI sovereignty.
The NITDA DG said developing indigenous capacity across these areas would not only reduce Nigeria’s vulnerability to external technological influence but also position the country to benefit more significantly from the rapidly expanding global AI economy.
He described GITEX Nigeria 2026 as a strategic platform for Nigeria and Africa to examine their preparedness for the AI revolution and develop practical solutions for building sustainable technological capacity.
According to him, the event should provide an opportunity for policymakers, technology leaders, innovators, investors and other stakeholders to confront the continent’s AI challenges and determine the steps required to secure Africa’s place in the global digital economy.
“GITEX Nigeria 2026 should help us answer: What are we doing as a nation? What are we doing as a continent in terms of building our AI capacity and sovereignty?” he asked.
He stressed that the answers to these questions would be critical to determining whether Nigeria and Africa would remain consumers of technologies developed elsewhere or emerge as significant players in the next phase of the global digital revolution.
GITEX Nigeria 2026 is bringing together key stakeholders in technology, government, business and innovation to explore emerging technologies, investment opportunities and strategies for accelerating Nigeria’s digital transformation.
