Nigeria has quietly built one of Africa’s largest Artificial Intelligence(AI)-driven surveillance networks, spending over $470 million on facial recognition and vehicle tracking technologies.
The country leads the continent in surveillance investment, according to a March 2026 report by the Institute of Development Studies titled Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance across 11 Countries.
Out of at least $2.1 billion spent across 11 African nations, Nigeria alone accounts for roughly 10 000 smart cameras deployed in major urban centres, surpassing peers such as Mauritius and Kenya.
Nigeria is the continent’s largest buyer of smart city surveillance technologies, having spent over $470 million on AI-enabled facial recognition and automatic number plate recognition, the report states.
However, despite the scale of the deployment, expected security improvements remain unclear.
There is little evidence that the expansion of digital surveillance reduces overall crime, say researchers Wairagala Wakabi and Dr Tony Roberts. Court records show minimal use of surveillance footage in prosecutions, and there is no clear link between the investment and reductions in terrorism or serious crime.
In Nigeria, kidnappings and organised crime continue to challenge security agencies, sparking questions about whether the problem lies in the technology or its application.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised this gap, questioning why intelligence systems like telecom tracking and digital IDs have not translated into more frequent arrests.
Criminal networks are adapting fast and increasingly operate outside standard telecom networks, limiting the effectiveness of tools like SIM registration, says Dr Bosun Tijani, minister of communications, innovation and digital economy. He notes that bandits often "bounce" calls off multiple towers to mask their locations.
The study also flags structural risks, noting that much of the infrastructure is supplied by Chinese firms like Huawei and ZTE and financed through soft loans. This raises questions about technological dependence and data governance.
None of the countries studied has sufficiently robust laws to govern AI surveillance, the researchers warn.
To address this, the Nigerian government is pushing to pass the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill by the end of March 2026.
The bill will categorise surveillance as a "high-risk" AI application, requiring developers to submit annual impact assessments and allowing for fines of up to 2% of annual revenue for non-compliance.
Governments are investing in technology as a shortcut to security, but without better intelligence coordination and judicial efficiency, even advanced surveillance remains limited in impact, the report concludes.
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