Nigeria and Morocco tech partnership seen as key African opportunity
GITEX Africa Morocco 2026 will serve as a platform for advancing intra-African digital cooperation, with Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi describing Nigeria–Morocco collaboration as one of the continent’s most significant untapped opportunities.
Speaking ahead of the event in Marrakech, the head of National Information Technology Development Agency said stronger ties between Nigeria and Morocco could help shape standards for Africa’s digital economy.
He pointed to complementary strengths between the two countries. Morocco has advanced in integrating digital systems into manufacturing, while Nigeria has developed a strong fintech ecosystem and startup landscape. Aligning these capabilities could accelerate practical cooperation across sectors.
Abdullahi also linked this partnership to the broader framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area, noting that digital infrastructure needed to support cross-border trade remains underdeveloped. He highlighted areas such as interoperable payment systems, e-invoicing standards, and data governance as priorities where joint leadership could influence continental norms.
Artificial intelligence presents another area for collaboration. He identified agriculture, renewable energy, and manufacturing as sectors where shared data and talent could drive more effective outcomes. He stressed that African countries need coordinated approaches rather than isolated systems to address climate and development challenges.
His approach to digital policy in Nigeria has emphasized long-term foundations over rapid expansion. Since taking office, he has pushed for stricter evaluation of government technology projects to avoid inefficiencies and reduce costs. This included rejecting poorly structured proposals, a decision he said helped prevent weak implementation.
This strategy also led to broader reforms, including the development of national frameworks for artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, and data protection. These measures aim to ensure that Nigeria not only adopts technology but also influences how it is governed and deployed.
Human capital remains central to this strategy. Programs such as the 3 Million Technical Talent initiative are designed to build a large pool of skilled workers, while digital literacy efforts target widespread access to basic technological skills across the population.
Abdullahi identified agriculture as the sector where artificial intelligence could deliver the fastest impact. With a large share of Nigeria’s population engaged in farming, tools that improve productivity and efficiency could directly affect incomes and food security.
He also emphasized the importance of developing AI systems adapted to local contexts. Nigeria’s N-ATLAS model, trained in multiple local languages, reflects an effort to build technology that aligns with cultural and linguistic realities.
Beyond national priorities, Abdullahi framed Africa’s position in global technology differently. He argued that the continent should not be viewed as a passive market but as an active contributor with growing capabilities. He called on international partners to engage in collaborative development rather than extractive models.
Nigeria’s hosting of GITEX Nigeria in 2025, which brought together participants from dozens of countries and hundreds of startups, was presented as evidence of the continent’s growing technological ecosystem.
He outlined three lessons for African countries. Infrastructure investment must be matched by human capacity. Regulation should support innovation while protecting users. And digital sovereignty requires shared infrastructure and coordinated policies across nations.
As GITEX Africa 2026 approaches, these themes are expected to shape discussions on how African countries can build interconnected digital systems while maintaining control over data, infrastructure, and innovation pathways.
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