GITEX NIGERIA officially opened on Monday as a high-profile inauguration ceremony launched the second edition of West Africa’s largest tech, AI, and startup event in Abuja. Attended by senior government officials, international technology leaders, and digital economy stakeholders, the ceremony marked the beginning of an expanded 2026 programme designed to advance Africa’s sovereign AI and digital transformation ambitions, setting the scene for the Abuja Government Leadership & AI Summit that headlined the opening-day agenda in the Nigerian capital.
Held under the patronage of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, GITEX NIGERIA takes place across Abuja and Lagos from 31 August–3 September 2026. Supported by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the event is endorsed by the Lagos State Government and organised by KAOUN International, the global organiser of GITEX events.
During the event inauguration, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), hailed Nigeria’s efforts to build the foundations for digital sovereignty and technology-led growth. He stated: “Achieving true digital sovereignty means owning the capabilities, infrastructure, and intelligence that power our future. Through strategic initiatives like DL4ALL, 3MTT and Project BRIDGE, we are rapidly scaling our technical talent pool and extending high-speed digital inclusion across every local government area. We are building the policy, cloud infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks necessary to host our data locally, deploy AI responsibly, and enhance overall national productivity. GITEX NIGERIA positions our country as a global force shaping the international tech ecosystem, not just participating in it.”
While national initiatives are strengthening Nigeria’s digital foundations, Lagos is translating this momentum into investable opportunities across compute infrastructure and digital public services. The state’s expanding connectivity, regulatory reforms, and public-sector digitalisation are creating new markets for technology providers and international capital.
H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, said:“Most international capital looks at Nigeria and sees consumer fintech. That was the last decade’s trade. Here is what I believe is being under-priced today. First, compute. Lagos is one of the most cable-landed cities on the African continent. We have world-class subsea capacity arriving on our shores – and comparatively little of the compute that should sit behind it. Africa’s AI workloads are currently being processed in Europe. That is a latency problem, a cost problem, a data sovereignty problem, and therefore an investment opportunity. With our electricity law, our fibre programme and our data centre campuses, Lagos is the natural place to fix it.
“Second, the government market itself. Lagos operates a budget larger than that of
several West African countries. As we digitise procurement, revenue, permitting, health
records, transport and land administration, we are creating a serious, recurring,
creditworthy enterprise software market – one that most global technology firms have not yet properly bid for.”
Accelerating Nigeria’s technology-led economic transformation
The Abuja Government Leadership & AI Summit reinforced the shared commitment of federal and state leaders to accelerate Nigeria’s technology-led economic transformation, highlighting the country’s ambition to advance from technology consumption towards indigenous innovation, digital sovereignty, and global production.
Senator Dr George Akume, CON, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Nigeria, said: “Under the vision of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is boldly driving toward a $1 trillion economy. To achieve economic transformation we must now move far beyond basic connectivity to build true indigenous innovation and digital sovereignty. GITEX NIGERIA provides the strategic platform where government vision aligns with private sector execution. This is our opportunity for decisive transition from being mere consumers of foreign technology to becoming global producers of talent, sovereign infrastructure, and inclusively designed AI – built by Nigeria, for Nigeria. We are leading a new era for Africa.”
Critical dialogue on digital infrastructure and African AI sovereignty
Under the theme ‘Beyond Connectivity – The Bridge to Sovereign AI & Innovation’, the Abuja Government Leadership & AI Summit placed technology leadership, coordinated policymaking, and cross-sector collaboration at the centre of West Africa’s next phase of digital and economic development – welcoming over 500 public- and private-sector leaders and investors from across the region and around the globe.
Discussions throughout the day examined how Africa can translate growing digital ambition into trusted infrastructure, scalable innovation, and long-term economic value. From digital public infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity, and data sovereignty to connectivity, investment, and strategic partnerships, the summit welcomed over 25 distinguished international experts to analyse the foundations required for West African economies to strengthen technological capability while accelerating inclusion, productivity, and regional competitiveness.
Monday’s agenda examined the policies, infrastructure, financing models, and partnerships required to advance Africa’s digital transformation and sovereign technology ambitions. ‘Backbone Infrastructure & Last-Mile Connectivity: Cables, Satellites & Blended Finance’ explored how cables, towers, satellites, edge infrastructure, and blended finance can help close Africa’s connectivity gap while making last-mile deployment commercially viable, while ‘Getting Private Capital to Move into Digital Infrastructure’ addressed the risk, governance, and deal-structure barriers continuing to constrain commercial investment across West Africa and the wider continent.
Industry leaders also converged for ‘An African Opportunity: The Turning Point of eGov & Digital Interoperability’. This session analysed Africa’s accelerating digital government transformation and the immediate opportunities emerging for technology providers, investors, and financial institutions as countries scale digital identity, payment, and data-exchange infrastructure.
Lagos Tech Expo set to stimulate startup growth & investment
Following Monday’s Government Leadership & AI Summit in Abuja, GITEX NIGERIA moves to Lagos from 2–3 September for the Tech Expo, staged alongside the Future Economy Conference and FDX by GITEX. The expo will provide local and regional entrepreneurs and startups with a powerful platform to begin their scaling journeys, connect with international capital, secure new partnerships, and access opportunities across global markets.
More than 200 investors from 30 countries, collectively managing US$200 billion in assets, will participate. New international funds joining the programme include France’s Askya Investment Partners, Belgium’s Incofin Investment, Kenya- and Netherlands-based Triple Jump, UK-based Lightrock, UAE-based Global Ventures, and US-based Innovest Afrika.
The programme’s impact has already extended beyond the show floor. At the inaugural edition of GITEX NIGERIA in 2025, venture studio FirstFounders connected with 18 startups, with LabTracka, Vant, and GraceAI subsequently entering deeper discussions with the firm.
Vant, an AI-powered business banking and management platform, has since joined the FirstFounders portfolio through an investment valued at US$200,000, combining capital with operational support – demonstrating how engagement at GITEX NIGERIA can develop into longer-term investment and growth pathways.
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