LASG, Tech Experts Woo Foreign Investors, Challenge Local Innovators on Digital Solutions
Emma Okonji
The Lagos State Government (LASG) and technology experts in Nigeria, have called on foreign technology companies operating in Nigeria to invest and build in Nigeria, while urging local innovators to develop solutions that will attract investors.
They made the call during the opening ceremony of the recently concluded
two-day GITEX Nigeria Tech Expo and Future Economy Conference 2026, which held in Lagos.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the conference by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said the theme: ‘Beyond Connectivity: The Bridge to Sovereign AI and Innovation’, was apt, considering the state government’s readiness and the commitment of the federal government to further drive Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
Sanwo-Olu therefore urged foreign technology companies to establish engineering operations, data centres, regional headquarters and training pipelines in Lagos.
He said the state wanted to move from exporting technology talent to becoming a place where global companies would build and scale solutions.
Sanwo-Olu urged investors to see Lagos as a launchpad into Africa rather than only as a market for Nigerian consumers.
He said Lagos was ready to partner with investors, technology companies, universities and innovators to build solutions capable of serving global markets.
“We have enacted the Lagos State Electricity Law and established the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission to strengthen electricity regulation. We have also licensed independent operators across off grid generation, embedded generation, independent distribution, metering and mini grids. The state has also signed power purchase agreements with independent power producers to increase electricity, and the state is targeting between 200 megawatts and 400 megawatts of state procured electricity capacity, up from less than 60 megawatts. These are part of the state’s readiness to support investment in the state,” Sanwo-Olu said.
In his paper presentation at the conference, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, outlined government’s measures to prepare Nigerians for the emerging technology-driven economy.
Abdullahi identified human intelligence as Nigeria’s greatest resource and pointed to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoTs), Robotics, Blockchain Technology and other emerging technologies as tools for increasing productivity across critical sectors.
He also stressed the importance of trust and quality assurance, insisting that certification and software testing will improve confidence in Nigerian technology products and help startups secure corporate and government opportunities.
The NITDA boss also urged international technology companies to invest in Nigeria, and called local innovators to develop tech solutions for Africa that will attract global investors.
“Building in Nigeria does not mean you are limiting yourself to Nigerian market, but positioning yourself for the African market,” Abdullahi said.
He urged Nigerian innovators to solve domestic challenges while designing their products for international scalability.
The Secretary-General, Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Ghana, Wamkele Mene, said Nigeria would continue to play a leading role in advancing Africa’s digital economy.
“Nigeria is playing the role through its participation in the development and implementation of AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade, alongside Kenya and South Africa as co-champions of digital trade,” Mene said, adding that Nigeria’s leadership in digital trade is underpinned by its growing technology and fintech ecosystem and a vibrant generation of entrepreneurs whose products and services are reaching markets across Africa.
Chief Executive Officer, GITEX Global, Trixie LohMirmand, said Lagos had moved beyond potential, with its startup ecosystem now highly rated and ranked first in Africa for AI activities, creativity and funding.
She said Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy had also moved from policy to implementation, with about 700,000 Nigerians being trained through AI initiatives and $1.85 billion committed to AI infrastructure.
According to her, the next challenge is converting the momentum into global competitiveness by connecting talent to markets, startups to customers, innovation to capital and Nigerian ambition to global markets.
