The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a leading player in Africa’s artificial intelligence (AI) economy, stressing that responsible AI adoption, digital sovereignty, and indigenous innovation are critical to the country’s digital transformation.
Speaking at the AI Summit Nigeria 2026 in Abuja, NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, said artificial intelligence has the potential to transform every sector of the economy but warned that its success depends on building public trust through accountability, transparency, and responsible governance.
Represented by the agency’s Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, Barr. Emmanuel Edet, Inuwa said trust remains the foundation for sustainable AI deployment.
“Without public trust, AI adoption will be stalled. Without accountability, innovation will not scale sustainably, and without transparency, citizens will lose confidence in the systems designed to serve them,” he said.
The summit, themed “From Policy to Progress: Accelerating Responsible AI Adoption for Nigeria’s Digital Decade,” was jointly organised by Microsoft, NITDA, and MTN, bringing together policymakers, technology experts, industry leaders, and development partners to chart a roadmap for accelerating AI adoption in Nigeria.
Inuwa emphasised the need for Nigeria to attain digital sovereignty by moving beyond consuming foreign technologies to developing homegrown AI solutions tailored to local realities.
“We must become creators of intelligence rooted in our realities and responsive to our aspirations. We must build local talent, strengthen research ecosystems, and create an enabling environment where Nigerian and African solutions can thrive,” he said.
He added that Africa must play an active role in shaping the future of global AI rather than merely adapting to technologies developed elsewhere.
Also speaking at the summit, Microsoft’s Director of Government Affairs for West Africa, Nonye Ujam, commended Nigeria’s progress in AI governance through the National AI Strategy and ongoing regulatory reforms.
She, however, urged stakeholders to move beyond policy formulation to implementing AI solutions that deliver tangible benefits for citizens, businesses, and government institutions.
According to Ujam, effective AI adoption requires robust governance frameworks, reliable digital infrastructure, and strong institutional capacity, while ensuring that innovation is guided by fairness, security, transparency, and accountability.
The summit featured extensive discussions on responsible AI governance, regulatory clarity, digital sovereignty, and strategies for balancing innovation with national interests.
Participants drawn from key public and private sector institutions, including the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Identity Management Commission, and other technology stakeholders, explored collaborative approaches to harnessing AI for sustainable economic growth and improved public service delivery.
