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ActivEdge Group President George Agu Backs Push for Africa’s Digital Independence
Mr. George Agu, Group President of ActivEdge Technologies, has called on the African continent to seize control of its technological future by owning its data, algorithms, and digital infrastructure, and highlighted the urgent need for African nations to shift from being consumers of imported technology to creators of context-relevant solutions powered by local data and infrastructure.
George Agu, Group President, ActivEdge Technologies, delivering Keynote Presentation at the Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 5.0) .
Presenting a keynote address titled “Building Africa’s Digital Independence: AI & Sovereign Technology, ”at the 5th African Tech Alliance (AfriTECH) Forum held in Lagos on Thursday, Agu said sovereignty in the 21st century is no longer determined by political borders but by “servers owned, data governed, and algorithms controlled.”
He warned that Africa risks repeating old patterns of dependency, this time by trading raw data for foreign-made insights, just as raw materials were once exported for finished goods. “Our goal should be to design AI solutions that are reliable for Africa, run in Africa, and reward Africa,” he said.
He described artificial intelligence as a fundamental economic layer comparable to electricity, arguing that nations now compete for data wells rather than oil wells.
Agu outlined the paradox facing Africa: while the continent has recorded explosive digital growth, over 700 innovation hubs, $5 billion in venture funding, and Nigeria alone processing ₦600 trillion in transactions via NIBSS in 2023, its digital foundation remains heavily foreign-owned.
Insisting that more than 80% of Africa’s digital infrastructure is hosted abroad, and less than 10% of AI models deployed on the continent use African data, Agu cited examples of harmful consequences, including a small furniture business in Aba denied a loan because foreign algorithms “could not see” its informal operations, an issue he called algorithmic invisibility.
Agu’s presentation showcased successful sovereign-tech models across Africa:
· Rwanda and Kenya have digitised public services while retaining data within national jurisdictions.
· South Africa’s CSIR is developing open-source language models trained on African dialects.
· Ghana’s digital addressing has given millions a formal identity.
· Grassroots innovations, from Ethiopia’s AI-driven agriculture to Uganda’s adaptive learning systems, demonstrate the power of AI tailored to African realities.
Highlighting Nigeria’s digital strength, Agu said the country is poised to lead Africa’s sovereign AI movement due to its youthful population, vibrant startup ecosystem, and pioneering fintech rails.
He referenced Nigeria’s ongoing initiatives, including the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Nigeria Data Protection Act (2023), and the rise of indigenous solutions like ActivEdge’s Introspec and PayEdge, which leverage context-aware AI designed for Nigerian environments.
Citing research from McKinsey and the African Development Bank, Agu stressed that Africa could unlock $1.3 trillion in additional GDP by localizing AI systems, noting that localised AI could also raise agricultural yields by 15%, save 300,000 lives annually through improved diagnostics for African phenotypes, and create 4 million jobs by 2030.
He warned that Africa currently loses billions yearly, with Nigeria alone spending ₦150–200 billion, on foreign cloud services. “Each gigabyte stored abroad exports value,” he noted.
Agu insisted that Africa’s challenge is not technology, but leadership capacity and ethical stewardship. “The real test is whether we can govern innovation as responsibly as we celebrate it.” He called for the integration of digital ethics, data literacy, and design literacy into governance and education systems.
The ActiveEdge Chief Executive proposed a continental strategy anchored on creating national datasets in languages, crops, health, and climate; launching an AI Corps to embed young talent in critical sectors; de-risking innovation through AI sandboxes; securing energy for data centres; and building a Pan-African Digital Common Market aligned with AfCFTA protocols.
Agu urged African innovators and governments to see digital sovereignty as a moral, economic, and generational responsibility. “We once lost minerals to ships; we must not lose minds to algorithms,” he warned. “Africa’s digital independence will not be imported. It will be invented by Africans, not by chance but by choice.”
Localised, industrial-grade artificial intelligence (AI) data centre infrastructure will be delivered across Africa and the Global South, following a strategic alliance between sovereign AI infrastructure company Amini, electronics manufacturing giant Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) and French digital firm Bull.
The three-way partnership aims to close the sovereign compute gap by allowing governments, telecommunications operators, financial institutions and energy companies to acquire and operate computing systems domestically.
Africa’s digital economy is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, which is driving regional demand for AI-enabled services across public administration, energy and finance, the parties say.
However, advanced cloud and AI processing capabilities have historically remained concentrated within a small number of external providers. The partnership seeks to establish locally anchored infrastructure, enabling domestic organisations to retain control over data and digital sovereignty.
Under the agreement, Amini will drive local market engagement and deployment, leveraging its existing platforms for locally anchored data capacity.
Foxconn will provide specialised hardware, server architecture and modular data centre technologies in its first dedicated infrastructure initiative focused on African markets.
Bull integrates its expertise in high-performance computing, quantum computing and emerging-market digital capacity. By operating independent systems, critical national sectors can bypass reliance on external platform architectures.
Financial entities can deploy independent credit, risk assessment and financial inclusion algorithms, while energy providers can implement localised machine learning for predictive maintenance and national grid optimisation.
“AI is becoming foundational infrastructure for every economy, yet most of the world still lacks the compute capacity required to participate on its own terms,” said Kate Kallot, founder and CEO of Amini. “This partnership ensures that Africa and the Global South can acquire, own and operate AI infrastructure locally, with sovereignty and long-term economic value at its core.”
Alexandre Jouys, chief commercial officer and head of Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Bull, added that Africa and more generally the Global South have the potential to emerge as a global-scale AI hub, by continuing to build regional computing capacity and supply chain independence.
The organizing committee of the 2026 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum (NDSF) on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) is proud to announce Dr. Olusola Teniola as the Chairman for this year’s landmark event.
A seasoned leader with over 32 years of global experience in the telecommunications and technology sectors, Dr. Teniola brings a wealth of strategic expertise to the forum.
The Convener of NDSF and Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media group, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, welcomed the appointment, noting that Dr. Teniola’s leadership comes at a pivotal time for Nigeria’s digital economy.
Dr. Teniola currently serves as the Director of Strategic Business Initiatives at ipNX Nigeria, where he leads market expansion across West and Central Africa.
His recent contributions as a Digital Development Consultant to the World Bank Group for the May 2025 Country Private Sector Diagnostic report further underscore the high-level expertise he brings to the 2026 forum.
Dr. Teniola’s career is defined by high-impact leadership and infrastructure development:
- He previously served as COO for Oodua Infraco Resource Limited, overseeing the deployment of 870km of digital infrastructure in Southwest Nigeria.
- He is the past President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and succeeded Dr. Ernest Ndukwe as the National Coordinator for the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4ai).
- His background includes executive roles at global giants such as British Telecom, Vodafone, Cisco Inc, and Alcatel-Lucent Technologies.
- He has been a vital contributor to the Nigerian Broadband Plan (2012-2013 and 2020-2025) and currently serves on the IPv6 Council.
Dr. Teniola holds a B.Eng (Hons) in Computer & Information Engineering from South Bank University, an MBA from the University of Bath School of Management, and an Honorary Doctorate (DBA) from Prowess University.
He is a Fellow of the MSME Institute of Management & Professional Studies and a member of the Chartered Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says ongoing investments and regulatory interventions in the telecommunications sector are expected to address persistent quality of service challenges across the country.
NCC
In a statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, on Wednesday, the commission acknowledged public concerns over dropped calls, slow internet speeds, unstable data services and service disruptions affecting consumers.
The commission said telecommunications services had become central to work, education, business, access to essential services and social connectivity, adding that consumers deserved reliable services and value for money.
According to the NCC, improving quality of service has remained a major regulatory priority over the past two years.
It said the commission had intensified monitoring of Mobile Network Operators, Internet Service Providers and Tower Companies, while strengthening data-driven oversight and stakeholder engagement to address structural challenges affecting service delivery.
The commission disclosed that the sector was undergoing one of its largest network expansion and modernisation phases in recent years following a prolonged period of under-investment.
It said Mobile Network Operators invested more than N2.13 trillion in network infrastructure and upgrades in 2025, while Tower Companies invested an additional N373.8 billion.
According to the NCC, the investments supported the addition and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecommunications sites nationwide to improve network coverage and capacity.
The commission said interventions included deployment of additional 4G and 5G infrastructure, fibre backhaul expansion, targeted deployments in high-demand urban areas, expansion into underserved communities and equipment upgrades.
It added that operators had committed to adding or upgrading more than 12,000 sites in 2026, with nearly 3,000 already completed.
The NCC also said over 730 additional 5G sites had been deployed across 27 states in 2026.
The commission noted that 4G penetration rose from 45 per cent in January 2024 to 54 per cent currently, while national median download speeds improved from 16.5Mbps to 20Mbps within the same period.
It further said power availability at telecom towers improved from a national average of 99.3 per cent in January 2025 to 99.7 per cent.
According to the commission, spectrum reallocation among major operators and spectrum block rearrangements were also being implemented to improve network efficiency and service performance.
The NCC, however, acknowledged persistent external challenges affecting service quality, including vandalism, theft of telecom equipment, fibre cuts, power disruptions and access denial for maintenance.
It disclosed that more than 27,000 avoidable fibre-cut incidents linked mainly to road construction and vandalism were recorded in 2025.
The commission said it was collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other stakeholders to implement the Presidential Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure.
It added that operators had been mandated to notify consumers of major service outages promptly and restore services within specified timeframes.
The NCC said enforcement of the updated Quality of Service Regulations 2024 commenced in November 2025, including consumer compensation measures for poor service quality and additional investment obligations on Tower Companies.
It warned that regulatory action would continue against operators that fail to deliver measurable improvements.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring affordable, reliable and high-quality telecommunications services for all Nigerians.
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