{"id":106744,"date":"2026-08-11T09:46:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T05:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/?p=106744"},"modified":"2026-08-11T10:20:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T06:20:47","slug":"gitex-nigeria-to-boost-africas-1trn-ai-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/gitex-nigeria-to-boost-africas-1trn-ai-push\/","title":{"rendered":"GITEX NIGERIA to Boost Africa&#8217;s $1trn AI Push"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gitexnigeria.ng\/\">GITEX NIGERIA<\/a> will return this year to reinforce the country&#8217;s digital transformation ambitions. The event comes as <a href=\"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/category\/africa\/\">Africa<\/a> eyes a projected US$1 trillion AI economic potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nigeria is turning bold digital plans into real national progress. The country is doing this through forward-looking policy, AI innovation, and human capital development. As a result, citizens are set to see lasting benefits. GITEX NIGERIA, West Africa&#8217;s largest tech, AI, and startup event, will showcase this progress. It highlights the shift from aspiration to action. In turn, this strengthens Nigeria&#8217;s position as one of Africa&#8217;s leading AI and digital economy markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Event Details and Key Partners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GITEX NIGERIA will take place under the patronage of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. The event runs across Abuja and Lagos from August 31 to September 3, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is supporting the show. It is working alongside the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Additionally, the Lagos State Government has endorsed the event. KAOUN International, the global organiser of GITEX events, is running the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year&#8217;s theme is &#8220;Beyond Connectivity, The Bridge to Sovereign Innovation.&#8221; It marks the second edition of GITEX NIGERIA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>National Talent and Infrastructure Gains<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event arrives as Nigeria pushes forward with major reforms. These reforms are turning future-focused policy into measurable results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, the country is meeting rising demand for digital skills. So far, the programme has recorded 1.87 million registrations. These span all 774 local government areas. More than 135,000 Nigerians have been trained through three cohorts. Furthermore, learning has reached over 300,000 people via community resources. The programme has also created 15,000 job and opportunity pathways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alongside this, Nigeria has moved Project BRIDGE from policy into delivery. This initiative is building a national ICT backbone. It aims to expand universal connectivity and support long-term digital transformation. Specifically, the project is expected to create up to 20,000 direct jobs. It could also generate more than 150,000 indirect jobs. Moreover, it will train 5,000 Nigerian youths and push internet penetration above 70%. High-speed connectivity will also reach millions of households, schools, businesses, and hospitality venues in underserved areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>GITEX NIGERIA Strengthens Government&#8217;s Digital Mandate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Building on this momentum, GITEX NIGERIA supports the Federal Government&#8217;s digital transformation goals. The event will bring together global technology leaders, investors, and public-private partners. Together, they aim to accelerate the next phase of Nigeria&#8217;s digital growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consequently, the show will drive the partnerships needed to scale AI infrastructure. It will also help strengthen digital resilience, boost investment, and advance innovation ecosystems. This supports West Africa&#8217;s broader pursuit of digital sovereignty and sustainable growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hon. Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria&#8217;s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, commented on the goals ahead of the event. He described the ambition as laying the groundwork for digital sovereignty, technological self-determination, and a globally competitive AI economy. He also said Nigeria wants to help lead Africa&#8217;s shift from consuming digital technology to producing and exporting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nigeria Emerges as a Regional AI Hub<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nigeria is becoming a hub where policy, innovation, and capital increasingly intersect. On August 31 in Abuja, the GITEX NIGERIA Government Leadership and AI Summit will open the event. It will gather ministers, governors, and regulators. Their focus will be West Africa&#8217;s digital public infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The GITEX NIGERIA Tech Expo &amp; Future Economy Conference and Startup Festival will both return for a second year. Joining them this year is the new FDX NIGERIA by GITEX. This addition focuses on finance and digital asset exchange. It aims to drive financial inclusion across West Africa. In doing so, it seeks to bring millions of businesses into the formal economy and connect emerging tech innovation with global capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"744\" src=\"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Babajide-Sanwo-Olu.jpg-1024x744.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-106748 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Babajide-Sanwo-Olu.jpg-1024x744.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Babajide-Sanwo-Olu.jpg-300x218.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Babajide-Sanwo-Olu.jpg-768x558.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Babajide-Sanwo-Olu.jpg-1536x1116.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Babajide-Sanwo-Olu.jpg-2048x1488.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, linked Africa&#8217;s digital rise closely to Lagos. He noted the state&#8217;s gross product stands at around US$259 billion in purchasing power parity terms. This accounts for more than 30% of Nigeria&#8217;s GDP. He added that Lagos continues to attract talent, capital, and innovation. He welcomed GITEX NIGERIA back, calling it a boost to the state&#8217;s role as a gateway for opportunity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General\/CEO of NITDA, said Nigeria&#8217;s digital future depends on more than adopting new technologies. He pointed to the resilience, trust, and governance frameworks built around them. He added that GITEX NIGERIA creates space for dialogue on responsible AI adoption and a secure digital economy.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"744\" src=\"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Kashifu-Inuwa.jpg-1024x744.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-106750 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Kashifu-Inuwa.jpg-1024x744.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Kashifu-Inuwa.jpg-300x218.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Kashifu-Inuwa.jpg-768x558.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Kashifu-Inuwa.jpg-1536x1116.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Kashifu-Inuwa.jpg-2048x1488.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Building Foundations for Long-Term Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nigeria has risen to the front of Africa&#8217;s digital economy. Its ecosystem is homegrown and resilient. It is backed by government initiatives, global tech enterprises, and a growing startup scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Programmes like 3MTT, Project BRIDGE, and the National AI Strategy are strengthening this base. Together, they support talent development, digital infrastructure, and investment attraction. They also promote responsible AI adoption. As a result, Nigeria is reinforcing its role as a key driver of Africa&#8217;s projected US$1 trillion AI economic uplift by 2035.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of GITEX, said the event sends a clear message. West Africa, she said, is open for business and ready to turn ambition into lasting global leadership. She added that GITEX is proud to support the conversations and connections that will strengthen regional competitiveness and unlock scalable growth across Nigeria and West Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In summary, GITEX NIGERIA is set to play a central role in shaping the country&#8217;s digital and AI future. With strong government backing and growing regional momentum, GITEX NIGERIA will bring together the leaders, investors, and innovators needed to advance Africa&#8217;s digital sovereignty and economic growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GITEX NIGERIA will return this year to reinforce the country&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":106747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9697,10575,9617],"tags":[10576],"contributor":[9732],"class_list":["post-106744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-gitex-nigeria-2026","category-latest-news","tag-gitex-nigeria","contributor-news-desk"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GITEX-Nigeria.jpg.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"Rabab","author_link":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/author\/rabab\/"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106744"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106751,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106744\/revisions\/106751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106744"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=106744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}