Artificial Intelligence (AI) leaders and policymakers in Nigeria have urged local developers and investors to move away from reliance on foreign-built technology and focus on creating home-grown solutions tailored to the country’s needs, as concerns grow over digital dependence.
Speaking at the “AI in Action Now 2026” conference in Lagos, industry experts said Nigeria risks missing out on the economic and governance benefits of artificial intelligence if it continues to rely largely on tools designed for other markets.
The conference, held at the Lagos Oriental Hotel and attended by more than 500 participants, centred on the need for what speakers described as “contextual AI”, systems developed with an understanding of Nigeria’s social, economic and institutional realities.
“Contextual AI is building AI on your own local context. Gone are the days where we use European products built for their context. We should be building solutions that fit us better and faster,” said Debola Ibiyode, convener of the event.
Ibiyode said bringing together founders, engineers and students was critical to creating a pipeline of innovation capable of addressing structural challenges in sectors such as healthcare and finance, where foreign AI models often struggle with language diversity and informal transaction patterns.
Despite widespread personal use of artificial intelligence tools, speakers said Nigeria’s business sector has yet to harness the technology at scale.
Dotun Adeoye, co-founder of AI Nigeria, said many Nigerians already interact with AI through platforms such as ChatGPT and Meta AI, but adoption within companies remains limited.
“There is a gap in the market, but that doesn’t always mean there is a market in the gap,” Adeoye said, warning that enthusiasm for AI must be matched with viable business models and ethical deployment.
He added that Nigeria’s large graduate population meant AI should be used to enhance productivity rather than displace workers.
Government representatives at the conference signalled increasing openness to AI-driven governance. Biodun Ogunleye, Lagos state commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, said data and intelligence were now central to modern public administration.
“Without AI, what is governance? Just people packing papers up and down,” Ogunleye said, adding that the state’s role was to partner with private sector players capable of managing data effectively.
As the event ended, speakers said Nigeria had the talent and tools needed to build its own AI ecosystem, but warned that continued dependence on foreign platforms could limit innovation and weaken long-term economic competitiveness.
