By BONIFACE AKARAH

GITEX Nigeria 2026 opened in Abuja on Monday with the Federal Government, technology leaders and international investors setting their sights on a bigger ambition: moving Nigeria from being a consumer of foreign technology to becoming a producer of digital talent, infrastructure and artificial intelligence.

The opening ceremony launched the second edition of West Africa's major technology, AI and startup event, bringing together senior government officials, global technology leaders and digital economy stakeholders.

The event, holding across Abuja and Lagos from August 31 to September 3, is supported by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and organised by KAOUN International.

Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said Nigeria was building the capabilities and infrastructure required to achieve digital sovereignty and technology-led economic growth.

“Achieving true digital sovereignty means owning the capabilities, infrastructure, and intelligence that power our future. Through strategic initiatives like DL4ALL, 3MTT and Project BRIDGE, we are rapidly scaling our technical talent pool and extending high-speed digital inclusion across every local government area,” Inuwa said.

“We are building the policy, cloud infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks necessary to host our data locally, deploy AI responsibly, and enhance overall national productivity. GITEX NIGERIA positions our country as a global force shaping the international tech ecosystem, not just participating in it.”

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said Nigeria's digital ambitions were tied to the broader target of building a $1 trillion economy.

“Under the vision of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is boldly driving toward a $1 trillion economy. To achieve economic transformation we must now move far beyond basic connectivity to build true indigenous innovation and digital sovereignty,” Akume said.

“GITEX NIGERIA provides the strategic platform where government vision aligns with private sector execution. This is our opportunity for decisive transition from being mere consumers of foreign technology to becoming global producers of talent, sovereign infrastructure, and inclusively designed AI - built by Nigeria, for Nigeria. We are leading a new era for Africa.”

The Abuja Government Leadership and AI Summit, held under the theme, “Beyond Connectivity – The Bridge to Sovereign AI & Innovation,” brought together more than 500 public- and private-sector leaders and investors, with over 25 international experts participating in discussions on AI, cybersecurity, data sovereignty, digital infrastructure and investment.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, meanwhile, made a case for greater investment in computing infrastructure, arguing that Africa's growing AI needs presented a major business opportunity.

“Most international capital looks at Nigeria and sees consumer fintech. That was the last decade’s trade. Here is what I believe is being under-priced today. First, compute. Lagos is one of the most cable-landed cities on the African continent,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“Africa’s AI workloads are currently being processed in Europe. That is a latency problem, a cost problem, a data sovereignty problem, and therefore an investment opportunity. With our electricity law, our fibre programme and our data centre campuses, Lagos is the natural place to fix it.”

He also pointed to opportunities arising from the growing digitisation of government services.

“As we digitise procurement, revenue, permitting, health records, transport and land administration, we are creating a serious, recurring, creditworthy enterprise software market – one that most global technology firms have not yet properly bid for,” the governor said.

After the Abuja summit, GITEX Nigeria will move to Lagos from September 2 to 3 for the Tech Expo, Future Economy Conference and FDX by GITEX.

Organisers said more than 200 investors from 30 countries, collectively managing about $200 billion in assets, are expected to participate in the Lagos programme, offering startups and entrepreneurs opportunities to connect with international investors and explore new partnerships.

The event will bring together startups, investors, policymakers and technology companies around key areas including AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, fintech, digital infrastructure and other emerging technologies as Nigeria seeks a stronger place in the global digital economy.