Nigeria has emerged as the largest investor in artificial intelligence-driven surveillance systems on the continent, committing over $470 million to advanced monitoring technologies, according to a new report.

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The study found that Nigeria, alongside 10 other African countries, has collectively spent no less than $2.1 billion on AI-powered surveillance infrastructure.

AI-powered surveillance devices represent a significant shift from passive recording to active, real-time monitoring and threat detection

The study, described as the most comprehensive account of smart city surveillance in Africa, examined deployments in Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

These investments include facial recognition systems and automatic number plate recognition tools aimed at strengthening security and urban monitoring.

The report, titled “Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance Across 11 Countries,” was produced by the Institute of Development Studies and released in March 2026.

It highlights Nigeria’s position at the forefront of adopting smart surveillance technologies, reflecting a broader trend across Africa where governments are increasingly turning to AI solutions to address security challenges and improve urban management.

“This level of expenditure translates into an average spend in the region of $240m per country.

“Nigeria alone has documented public expenditure of $470m AI-enabled facial recognition and ANPR, making it the continent’s largest buyer of smart city surveillance technologies,” the report stated.

“In all cases, we know that the real total is significantly higher because surveillance spending is often secret; no figures were available for two of the 11 countries studied; the public accounts for the other nine countries were incomplete; and this study included only 11 of Africa’s 55 countries,” the researchers noted.

The report said most of the surveillance infrastructure deployed across the countries was supplied by Chinese firms and financed through soft loans from Chinese banks.

“The Chinese safe city surveillance package is typically financed by soft loans from Chinese banks.

“A typical package involves a loan of $250m from Eximbank tied to the purchase of surveillance cameras from Hikvision and a command and control centre built and serviced by Huawei or ZTE,” it said.

The report explained that the packages usually include thousands of smart closed-circuit television cameras capable of transmitting geo-located facial recognition and vehicle number plate data in real time.

“The Chinese safe city package typically includes installing thousands of smart CCTV surveillance cameras, which transmit geo-located facial recognition and car number plate data in real time for analysis using artificial intelligence at dedicated data centres that serve as command and control facilities for police and security operatives,” the report added.

The study further revealed that China supplied smart city surveillance technologies to all 11 countries reviewed, while South Korea and Russia supplied three countries each, and the United Arab Emirates supplied two.

It added that the actual spending across the region could be significantly higher due to secrecy around surveillance budgets and incomplete public financial records.

The metaverse, championed by Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2021, has largely collapsed due to low user adoption, technical limitations, and massive financial losses exceeding $80 billion.

Mark Zuckerberg

Meta is shutting down its flagship VR platform, Horizon Worlds, in June 2026, marking a major shift toward AI and mobile-first strategies.

The app will be removed from the Quest store on March 31 and discontinued in VR by June 15, continuing only as a mobile service.

Horizon Worlds, launched in 2021, was central to Meta’s rebranding from Facebook and its vision of a fully immersive virtual environment.

Despite billions in investment and high-profile partnerships, the platform failed to attract a large user base and struggled with design limitations and weak engagement.

Reality Labs, the division behind the metaverse push, has accumulated nearly$80 billion in losses since 2020, including more than$6 billion in a single quarter.

Recent layoffs affecting around 10 percent of the VR workforce, along with the shutdown of related projects, underscore a broader pullback.

Competition and shifting priorities have accelerated the decline.

Rival platforms such as VRChat maintained stronger communities, while Meta increasingly redirected resources toward AI and hardware, including its Ray-Ban smart glasses.

Although Meta says it remains committed to VR, the closure of Horizon Worlds signals a strategic reset.

The company is repositioning its future around AI-driven products, marking a decisive shift away from its earlier metaverse vision.

Aligning with the current administration’s focus on diversifying the economy through industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, and manufacturing, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s creative and arts industry through targeted digital initiatives, enabling regulations, and strategic infrastructure development aimed at unlocking the sector’s full economic potential.

Speaking at Moment 2026, Africa’s Largest Convergence of Creators, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, emphasised that the Agency is focused on building a technology-driven ecosystem where creators can thrive, innovate, and compete globally.

Highlighting the growing importance of the sector, the DG, who was represented by the Director of the DG’s Office, Dr Ayodeji Eniola, noted that Nigeria’s creative industry, currently valued at over $9 billion, could exceed $13 billion in the coming years with the right support systems in place.

“Nigeria has always been a nation of storytellers, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and innovators. What is remarkable today is that this creativity has evolved beyond cultural expression to become a powerful economic force.”

He said that at the heart of NITDA’s interventions is digital talent development and mentioned that through flagship programmes such as the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, the Agency is equipping young Nigerians with critical skills in animation, visual effects, game development, and digital media, ensuring they are prepared for emerging opportunities in the global creator economy.

The DG stressed that the intersection of creativity and technology is central to the future of the industry.

“Today, creativity is powered by connectivity, computing power, digital platforms, and data. A smartphone, a laptop, and access to the internet can enable a young Nigerian to reach millions of people around the world.”

To support this transformation, Inuwa stated that NITDA is driving the development of key digital infrastructure, including the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative, which provides secure, scalable local computing resources for creators and digital entrepreneurs.

He also noted the Agency is supporting national broadband expansion efforts, such as Project BRIDGE, to improve connectivity and expand participation in the digital economy.

In addition to infrastructure, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA continues to strengthen regulatory frameworks that promote cybersecurity, data protection, and digital trust, critical elements for safeguarding creators’ intellectual property and ensuring safe participation in online ecosystems.

He announced that the Agency is also leveraging emerging technologies to position Nigeria at the forefront of innovation in the creative space. Through the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), he added that NITDA is advancing research and capacity building in artificial intelligence, enabling creators to integrate cutting-edge tools into content production and digital storytelling.

Reinforcing the broader national vision and calling on young creators to recognise the economic and global significance of their work, the DG said, “Your creativity is not just entertainment. It is innovation, intellectual property, economic opportunity, and national influence.”

He reiterated that the Agency will continue to implement policies, develop infrastructure, and foster innovation ecosystems that empower Nigeria’s creative sector to grow sustainably, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic diversification agenda.