By Martha Agas
Experts have renewed calls for Nigeria to develop local Artificial Intelligence tools to strengthen data privacy and protect African digital resources from external misuse.
The call was made during the AI Summit organised by the Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development, in Abuja, drawing experts and technology practitioners.
Participants warned that Africa still lacked meaningful control over online data, even though the continent produced vast digital content used commercially by global technology companies.
Kiito Shilongo, Senior Tech Fellow at the Mozilla Foundation, said Africa was “not compensated for the use of its data,” in spite of contributing significant digital value worldwide.
She argued that data generated value across social, political and cultural sectors, yet the continent received virtually no share of the wealth created through its usage.
Shilongo emphasised that compensation must include active involvement in shaping digital products used across Africa, and not focus solely on monetary payments to communities.
“It’s not always economic,” she said, noting that Africans must shape decisions on data use and influence technologies built using their contributions.
She said increased public awareness would help citizens understand their stake in digital ecosystems and assert influence over products developed for African markets.
Dr Oluwaseun Adepoju, Managing Partner at Co-Creation Hub, said data determined every layer of the AI value chain, making local control essential for sustainable technological growth.
“In Africa, people may consent to data use or request deletion, but we still lack infrastructure for a truly impactful AI ecosystem,” he said.
Adepoju urged stronger enforcement of data protection laws, stressing that compensation could include value-based exchanges such as community-driven data-donation platforms.
He said such models could help citizens contribute deliberately to innovation while retaining influence over how their data was eventually deployed.
Seyi Olufemi, Country Director of Nubia AI, highlighted the importance of linguistic inclusion to help Africans understand their rights related to data ownership and compensation.
He explained that improved data literacy would help people recognise the implications of sharing information and how it was used across multiple sectors.
Olufemi said local AI development and African data centres would strengthen legal and policy control, ensuring data was governed within the continent.
He noted that such structures would also enhance digital independence and support regulatory frameworks aligned with African realities and cultural priorities.
Kwabena Offei-Kwadey, IT Manager at Quantum LC Company, said Africa must build data systems that reflect its own culture and evolving socio-economic identity.
He explained that many AI platforms produced unsuitable responses because their training data did not adequately represent African languages, contexts or experiences.
Offei-Kwadey urged governments and business leaders to support innovators building AI tools rooted in African culture, values and unique societal characteristics.
He said such support would boost continental competitiveness and allow Africa to shape the global AI landscape on its own terms. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo
