Nigeria Charts AI Sovereignty Path, NITDA Pushes ‘Build, Not Just Use’ Agenda

Nigeria Charts AI Sovereignty Path, NITDA Pushes ‘Build, Not Just Use’ Agenda

By Gloria Sarauniya Usman

ABUJA, NIGERIA February, 2026 - The Federal Government has reaffirmed its resolve to position Nigeria as a producer—not just a consumer—of artificial intelligence technologies, with a strong emphasis on responsibility, inclusivity and data sovereignty.

Speaking virtually at the InnovateAI Conference in Lagos, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said Nigeria’s ambition is to architect and build indigenous AI systems aligned with national priorities under the National AI Strategy. He stressed that the country must take ownership of its AI future rather than rely solely on imported models.

Inuwa noted that Nigeria’s AI roadmap extends beyond innovation to governance, infrastructure and policy evolution. He cautioned against rigid regulatory approaches, advocating instead for “living policies” capable of adapting as technology advances. According to him, responsible AI development requires continuous review of frameworks, supported by legislative instruments such as the Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill.

Highlighting concerns over bias in global AI models trained predominantly on non-African datasets, he said Nigeria must invest in local data infrastructure to ensure representation of its languages, cultures and demographics. Without inclusive datasets, he warned, AI systems risk reinforcing inequality and misrepresentation.

The NITDA chief called for strategic partnerships with global technology firms to develop domestic AI infrastructure while preserving national values. He added that adopting a full AI lifecycle approach—from data governance to deployment and retraining—would enable Nigeria to move from reacting to global AI trends to actively shaping its own digital destiny.