Stakeholders in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem have called for increased investment in local intelligence, talent, and innovation to accelerate the country’s digital transformation and reduce reliance on imported technology.
     The call was made during the Huawei Nigeria AI and Cloud Summit 2026, held last Thursday, under the theme: “Built Local, Built Intelligent.”
     
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax and Revenue,  Abdulkabir Opeyemi, emphasised that Nigeria’s technological future must be driven by solutions developed locally to address the country’s unique challenges.
     Hamzat noted that the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing mandates a shift from technology consumption to technology creation.
     
“Innovation that is merely imported is temporary. Innovation built locally, with local capacity and local ownership, is what endures and multiplies,” Hamzat stated.
    He clarified that fostering local capacity does not mean isolating the nation: “Building local intelligence does not mean building in isolation. It means building with the right global partners, on our own terms, and for our own benefit.”
    
He highlighted that AI and cloud infrastructure have evolved into practical tools capable of revolutionising healthcare, agriculture, public administration, and national security, while driving job creation for Nigeria’s youth.
     In his address titled “Advancing Nigeria’s AI Future Together,” Huawei Nigeria CEO, Austin You, reiterated the company’s 27-year commitment to the nation’s digital growth across telecommunications, data centres, renewable energy, skills development, and cloud services.
    
He noted that Huawei has trained more than 100,000 Nigerians and established more than 250 ICT academies to strengthen the country’s technology talent base.
    “By integrating Nigeria’s population, market size, digital infrastructure, and talent, the nation is uniquely positioned to lead Africa’s AI era,” You said.
     
Additionally, the Managing Director of Huawei Cloud Nigeria, Roc Bai, officially unveiled the Huawei Nigeria Agentic Cloud.
     He noted that this innovation aligns with national digital sovereignty and compliance requirements such as local data residency under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) by ensuring data is hosted, processed, and governed within the country.
    
Bai outlined Huawei Cloud’s strategy around three interconnected priorities: AI democratisation, data localisation, and trust and security, aiming to help Nigeria build the foundations required to lead Africa’s next phase of digital transformation.
     The event concluded with the showcasing of a range of AI-native technological innovations by Huawei Cloud, highlighting groundbreaking advancements in big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and AI agents.