Tech stakeholders call for investment in local talent at Huawei summit

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem have called for increased investment in local talent, intelligence and innovation to accelerate the country’s digital transformation and reduce reliance on imported technology.

In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Wednesday, the call was made at the Huawei Nigeria AI and Cloud Summit 2026, held on Thursday, August 27, under the theme, “Built Local, Built Intelligent.”

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax and Revenue, Mr. Abdulkabir Opeyemi, said Nigeria’s technological future must be driven by locally developed solutions that address the country’s unique challenges.

Hamzat said the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and cloud computing requires Nigeria to move from being a technology consumer to becoming a technology creator.

He stressed that developing local capacity does not mean isolating Nigeria from the rest of the world, but working with global partners while ensuring that the country benefits from its own technological development.

He also noted that AI and cloud infrastructure could transform key sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, public administration and national security, while creating job opportunities for young Nigerians.

Huawei Nigeria CEO, Austin You, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to Nigeria’s digital development, saying Huawei had trained more than 100,000 Nigerians and established over 250 ICT academies to strengthen the country’s technology talent base.

According to You, Nigeria’s large population, growing market, digital infrastructure and talent provide a strong foundation for the country to play a leading role in Africa’s AI development.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Huawei Cloud Nigeria, Roc Bai, unveiled the Huawei Nigeria Agentic Cloud, which he said was designed to support Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and data protection requirements.

Bai said the platform would support local data residency by ensuring that data is hosted, processed and governed within Nigeria.

He identified AI democratisation, data localisation, and trust and security as key priorities in Huawei Cloud’s strategy for Nigeria.

The summit also featured demonstrations of AI-driven innovations in big data analytics, artificial intelligence and AI agents, highlighting the growing role of locally relevant technology in Nigeria’s digital future.