Nigeria’s telecom regulator and industry leaders have called for urgent and coordinated action to build Africa’s artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, warning that the continent risks becoming a passive consumer of global technologies if it fails to invest in local capacity.
The concerns were raised during a high-level virtual forum, convened by Africa Hyperscalers, where Nigeria featured prominently in discussions on what Africa must build to compete in an AI-driven world.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), stressed that AI is now “part of the basic infrastructure of competitiveness, just like roads, power and ports”.
He said countries that build strong foundations in compute capacity, cloud infrastructure, high-speed connectivity, stable power and skilled talent “will unlock new productivity and new jobs,” while others will be left consuming innovations made elsewhere.
Maida highlighted Africa’s urgent compute, algorithmic and data divides, underscoring the need for locally governed datasets and African-relevant AI models.
He reaffirmed the NCC’s commitment to expanding connectivity, enabling cloud adoption, strengthening data centre growth, enhancing cybersecurity and promoting adaptive regulation.
Nigeria’s centrality to the conversation is underscored by its growing digital footprint. The country hosts more than 20 active data centres, nearly two-thirds in Lagos, yet its total capacity stood at just 56.1 MW in 2025. However, this figure is projected to quadruple by 2030 to support rising AI and digital demands.
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