GITEX Nigeria 2026 Begins as NITDA DG Calls for AI Sovereignty

The 2026 edition of the Gulf Information Technology and Exhibition (GITEX Nigeria) has commenced in Abuja, with the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, calling for stronger efforts towards Artificial Intelligence sovereignty in Nigeria.
Speaking at the opening of the event, Inuwa said AI sovereignty was critical to protecting Nigeria’s economy, citizens and national security.
He explained that digital self-determination must go beyond the development of AI models alone and cover the entire technology ecosystem, including connectivity, data centres and cloud infrastructure.
“We need to look at it end-to-end, the entire technology stack, not just the AI itself,” Inuwa said.
The NITDA Director-General highlighted the recent signing of regulatory instruments on cloud and data sovereignty as important steps towards encouraging investment in data centres and strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
He stressed the importance of increasing Nigeria’s ownership and control of AI technologies, algorithms and data, noting that effective data governance and sovereignty would be essential for developing AI models capable of meeting the needs of Nigerians.
Inuwa also raised concerns about operational sovereignty, particularly the control of AI systems deployed in critical sectors such as finance, healthcare and education.
According to him, Nigeria must ensure that AI systems operating within the country remain subject to its laws and regulatory framework.
“If we don’t have control over it, whoever controls that AI can manipulate us, can control everything we do,” he warned.
He said NITDA’s digital development agenda, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Nigeria First Policy, was built around digital sovereignty, data sovereignty, cloud sovereignty and AI sovereignty.
Inuwa described GITEX Nigeria 2026 as an important platform for Nigeria and other African countries to advance discussions on AI capacity, innovation and technological independence.
“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?” he stated.
The event is expected to bring together policymakers, technology industry leaders, innovators, investors and other stakeholders to discuss emerging technologies and opportunities for strengthening Nigeria’s digital economy.