Nigeria's tech chief warns: whoever controls AI can manipulate us
NITDA's boss says Nigeria must control AI systems, data and cloud infrastructure—or risk being manipulated by whoever owns the technology.
NITDA DG calls for end-to-end AI sovereignty
The Gulf Information Technology and Exhibition, GITEX Nigeria, 2026 edition has commenced in Abuja, with the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, calling on Nigeria to prioritise Artificial Intelligence (AI) sovereignty to safeguard the nation's economy, citizens and security.
Speaking at the opening of the event, Inuwa said AI sovereignty goes beyond geopolitics, stressing that Nigeria must develop the capacity for digital self-determination across the entire technology stack. "We need to look at it end-to-end, the entire technology stack, not just the AI itself," he said, noting that connectivity, data centres and cloud infrastructure remain critical to building national AI capacity.
Regulatory instruments signal shift toward local infrastructure
The NITDA DG highlighted the recent signing of regulatory instruments on cloud and data sovereignty as important steps towards encouraging data centre development and strengthening Nigeria's digital infrastructure. He also stressed the need for the country to develop greater ownership of AI technologies, algorithms and data, noting that strong data sovereignty and governance are essential for building AI models that effectively serve Nigerians.
Inuwa raised the issue of operational sovereignty, particularly who controls AI systems deployed across critical sectors such as finance, healthcare and education, and whether such systems are subject to Nigerian laws. "If we don't have control over it, whoever controls that AI can manipulate us, can control everything we do," he warned.
Nigeria First Policy anchors digital ambition
Inuwa added that NITDA's efforts under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Nigeria First Policy are anchored on digital sovereignty, data sovereignty, cloud sovereignty and AI sovereignty. He said GITEX Nigeria 2026 provides an important platform for Nigeria and Africa to shape the conversation around AI capacity, innovation and sovereignty.
"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?"
