In an era defined by intelligent systems and data-driven competitiveness, Africa stands at a pivotal juncture.
While the continent continues to grapple with foundational infrastructure gaps in power, roads, and logistics, a new frontier is emerging, one that could redefine its place in the global economy.
For Africa, embracing artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is not just about catching up; it’s a strategic opportunity to leapfrog into the service-led economies of the future.
Ebitari Itonyo, a seasoned infrastructure finance executive and Columbia Business School MBA, believes that data centre development and AI-enabling infrastructure are essential to unlocking Africa’s next phase of growth.
Having structured over $1 billion in transactions across energy, digital, and industrial sectors, Itonyo brings a practitioner’s view to an increasingly urgent conversation.
Driving inclusion and innovation
From leading deals in power generation to supporting regional connectivity, his experience offers a unique vantage point on how digital infrastructure can drive both inclusion and innovation across the continent.
Itonyo points to the service sector—which already accounts for approximately 55% of Africa’s GDP—as evidence of this shift. From banking to logistics, telemedicine to remote education, services are the continent’s fastest-growing sector. These industries are increasingly powered by digital tools and, increasingly, by AI.
What makes Africa unique, he argues, is that the marginal benefit of AI adoption is higher than in advanced markets.
“In developed economies, AI boosts productivity at the margins,” Itonyo explains. “In Africa, it fills systemic gaps.”
Where medical professionals are scarce, AI can help analyse diagnostics. Where traditional credit history is limited, machine learning can underwrite loans based on mobile transactions or behavioural data. And where bureaucratic inefficiencies slow service delivery, intelligent systems can improve allocation and responsiveness.
But unlocking these benefits requires AI-ready infrastructure—and that’s where the challenge lies.
Africa makes up nearly 20% of the world’s population but hosts less than 1% of global data centre capacity. This digital infrastructure gap creates high latency, increases costs, and raises concerns about data sovereignty.
“Most AI models serving Africa today are hosted on servers thousands of kilometres away,” Itonyo notes. “To build trust and scale, we need to bring that infrastructure home.”
As cloud adoption accelerates—projected to grow over 25% annually in sub-Saharan Africa—cities like Lagos, Nairobi, Kigali, and Accra face a mounting need for local data infrastructure. Without it, Africa risks being a passive consumer of AI technologies rather than a co-creator.
Building systems that reflect local realities
Institutional collaboration is another cornerstone of Itonyo’s perspective. He stresses the need for joint action between governments, private investors, telecom operators, and global technology firms. Together, they can co-design financing vehicles, align on policy frameworks, and integrate AI infrastructure into national development strategies.
A key part of his vision is local talent development. Through his work with BFI Insights, a U.S.-registered platform delivering finance and infrastructure training across Africa, Itonyo has helped equip over 500 professionals with skills in project structuring, financial modelling, and blended capital.
“AI runs on data—but capital and talent are just as critical,” Ebitari Itonyo says. “Without local capacity, we can’t build systems that reflect local realities.”
And the payoff, he argues, goes beyond tech. AI-ready infrastructure anchors job creation, boosts service delivery, and strengthens Africa’s competitiveness in global value chains. Each data centre built, beyond the immediate data centre, each intelligent platform launched, has a multiplier effect across healthcare, education, agriculture, and finance.
Itonyo’s vision for Africa is grounded in both expertise and a personal commitment to inclusive economic development. His work spans the technical, financial, and strategic dimensions of infrastructure—making him a leading voice on the intersection of capital markets and digital transformation.
He envisions an Africa where young engineers, public policymakers, and entrepreneurs come together to build intelligent systems—not only to solve local problems but to shape global innovations.
By investing in data infrastructure, fostering policy coordination, and scaling local talent, Africa can move from the periphery of the digital economy to the core.
As Itonyo puts it, “Electricity grids powered industrial growth. Data grids will power Africa’s future. Now is the time to build them.”
