Nigeria is moving to capture a larger share of the estimated $1 trillion in additional economic value that artificial intelligence could generate across Africa by 2035, as government and industry figures accelerate investment in AI infrastructure, talent, and governance frameworks.
The projection, drawn from recent continental economic analysis, underscores both the scale of the opportunity and the urgency facing African policymakers. Nigeria’s technology sector has expanded rapidly over the past decade, anchored by a young population, a fast-growing digital economy, and a wave of fintech innovation that has already positioned Lagos as one of the continent’s leading start-up hubs.
Yet the path to realising AI’s promised value is far from guaranteed. Across the continent, enterprises and start-ups are increasingly experimenting with AI applications in agriculture, health, financial services, and public administration, but adoption remains constrained by unreliable electricity supply, high internet costs, limited access to computing infrastructure, and a persistent shortage of specialised AI talent.
Regional cooperation is beginning to fill some of these gaps. At the Third Lagos Forum held on 5 August, Nigerian and Chinese officials met to strengthen bilateral cooperation on artificial intelligence, with Chinese representatives pledging 5,000 training slots for AI specialists from developing countries and confirming continued cooperation with Nigeria on AI governance and digital infrastructure.
For the Zambezi Institute, the Nigerian case illustrates a broader continental pattern: African governments that pair AI ambition with deliberate investment in power, connectivity, and skills are best placed to convert the continent’s demographic and digital momentum into durable economic value, rather than watching that value accrue elsewhere.
