Stakeholders in Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem have called for a stronger focus on locally developed Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions, inclusive innovation, and reliable infrastructure as critical foundations for Africa’s digital future.
The call was made at the 2026 Women in Technology and Engineering Summit and Awards (WITESA), themed ‘Engineering Africa’s Future: Innovation, Infrastructure and Inclusive Technology,’ which brought together technology leaders, policymakers, innovators, and industry experts.
Experts noted that Africa’s technology future will depend on building solutions rooted in local realities, supported by strong infrastructure, and driven by inclusive participation.
Speaking at the event, Niyi Yusuf, chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), advised businesses and innovators to begin with the problem they are trying to solve before adopting AI, rather than deploying technology simply to compete.
According to him, AI adoption must be driven by clear business needs and supported by relevant data.
“Start from the business opportunity you are trying to solve before using AI and not necessarily for competition. Provide data that will make the need work,” Yusuf said.
He warned against copying foreign solutions without adapting them to local realities, noting that Africa must develop technology that reflects its own environment, languages, and user behaviours.
“The price for blind copy and paste is the graveyard. Things can be done well if they are conceptualised for the environment. There should be adaptation to suit your local environment from a language and data point of view,” he added.
While speaking on building inclusive technology, Hannatu Adegboyega, sales leader and people manager, stressed that successful solutions must be designed around the real needs of users.
She said innovators must understand the people they are building for and involve them throughout the development process.
“Building an inclusive solution is important. It is really for who has the pain point. We should understand who we are building for and they should be in the room at every point,” Adegboyega said.
Ibiyemi Lawani, energy and IT business administrator at Chevron International Exploration and Production, highlighted infrastructure as a major factor determining the success of emerging technologies.
She noted that technology can only create impact when people have access to it, adding that infrastructure development must balance reliability and affordability.
“Reliable infrastructure really matters because technology is useful when humans can access it. Reliable infrastructure should match affordability,” Lawani said.
Dotun Adeoye, co-founder of AI in Nigeria, called for greater development of AI systems trained on African data to address existing biases in global AI models.
He explained that many AI solutions currently originate from Western markets, creating gaps when applied to African contexts.
“A lot of AI solutions came from the United States or the West. There is a bias because AI tools have been built by Westerners,” Adeoye said.
He cited examples where AI-generated images and datasets often fail to represent African realities, stressing the need to train models with local pictures, languages, and cultural data.
“With Generative AI, you can train it with pictures. To build AI products for Nigeria, you need to be customer-centric,” he added.
David Ogebe, co-founder of Tech Revolution Africa, highlighted the progress and continued challenges around women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Ogebe noted that while women’s involvement in technology has improved over the years, progress remains slow, with women still significantly underrepresented in core engineering and technology fields globally.
“In core engineering, you find 26 percent of women worldwide functioning in the field, and in technology, it is even lower at 15 percent,” he said.
He urged women already in the industry to take responsibility for mentoring younger generations, saying increased visibility would inspire more girls to pursue careers in STEM.
“The path has been paved and what was not possible 20 years ago is possible today,” Ogebe said.
He added that Tech Revolution Africa’s partnership in convening WITESA was aimed at creating more opportunities for women, innovators, and young technology professionals across the continent.
Motunrayo Opayinka, CEO of Womenovate and convener of WITESA, said the summit was created to celebrate excellence, foster collaboration, and expand opportunities for women in technology, engineering, and related sectors.
She described the fifth edition of the summit as a significant milestone, noting that hosting the event in Lagos reflected the city’s growing position as Africa’s innovation hub.
“Lagos is the continent’s Silicon Valley, renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit, technological advancement, and commitment to shaping the future,” Opayinka said.
She stressed that innovation achieves its full potential when women are not only participants but also leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers.
According to her, the summit serves as a platform where ideas become partnerships and conversations become action.
Representing Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor,
Olatunbosun Alake, the commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, said Africa’s future must be deliberately engineered through investment in human capital, digital infrastructure, research, and inclusive policies.
He said Lagos State has continued to strengthen its innovation ecosystem through research funding, startup support, digital governance, and technology-driven initiatives.
“Engineering Africa’s future requires more than physical infrastructure. It demands investment in human capital, digital infrastructure, research and development, innovation ecosystems, and inclusive policies that ensure no one is left behind,” Alake said.
He disclosed that Lagos State has supported nearly 90 research and development initiatives across four universities in the state while also funding innovative companies solving real-world problems.
While speaking on digital infrastructure, Alake said Lagos has expanded connectivity through major fibre optic investments.
“Between 2019 and 2025, over 3,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable has been laid in Lagos, adding to more than one million additional people connected,” he said.
He also emphasised that women’s participation in technology is not only a social issue but an economic necessity.
“This gap is not merely a gender issue. It is an economic issue, a development issue, and ultimately a competitiveness issue,” he said.
Alake encouraged young women to pursue careers in artificial intelligence, engineering, renewable energy, data science, and other emerging fields, saying talent grows when connected to the right opportunities.
He shared the example of a female entrepreneur supported through Lagos State’s innovation programme who expanded her business internationally after receiving funding, mentorship, and digital support.
The commissioner said the story demonstrated the impact of providing women with access to the right tools and opportunities.
