Technology stakeholders have called for increased investment in Nigerian talent, intelligence and homegrown innovation to accelerate the country’s digital transformation and reduce dependence on imported technology. The call was made at the Huawei Nigeria AI and Cloud Summit 2026, held in Lagos under the theme, “Built Local, Built Intelligent.”
Speaking at the summit, the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax and Revenue, Abdulkabir Opeyemi, said Nigeria’s technological future must be driven by locally developed solutions capable of addressing the country’s unique challenges. He said the rapid development of artificial intelligence and cloud computing required Nigeria to move beyond being a technology consumer and become a creator of technology.
Hamzat stressed that building local capacity did not mean shutting the country out of international partnerships, but ensuring that Nigeria works with global technology companies while developing its own capabilities. He noted that AI and cloud infrastructure could transform sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, public administration and national security, while also creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
Huawei Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Austin You, said the company had trained more than 100,000 Nigerians and established over 250 ICT academies as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s technology talent base. At the summit, Huawei Cloud Nigeria Managing Director, Roc Bai, also unveiled the Huawei Nigeria Agentic Cloud, designed to support local data residency, digital sovereignty, data protection and security.