Hamzat Calls for More Investment in Africa’s Digital Infrastructure

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has called on African governments and the private sector to increase investment in digital infrastructure, local innovation and technology development to accelerate the continent’s digital transformation.

Hamzat made the call on Tuesday at the fifth edition of TeXcellence, organised by CWG Plc at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos.

He said Africa’s challenge was no longer a shortage of innovative ideas but the difficulty of scaling successful solutions into sustainable systems capable of reaching millions of people.

The deputy governor urged governments to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks, establish predictable policies and introduce institutional reforms that would enable technology-driven businesses to grow and attract investment.

He stressed that governments must move beyond their traditional regulatory roles to provide shared digital infrastructure, support research and development, and create an enabling environment for innovation to thrive beyond individual administrations.

Highlighting Lagos State’s investments, Hamzat disclosed that about 3,000 kilometres of fibre ducts and networks had been laid, with an additional 22 million dollars invested towards developing a unified 6,000-kilometre network.

He also said more than 6.4 million residents had been enrolled in the state’s resident identity system, while digital reforms had simplified public services, including physical planning permits and mortgage consent processing.

On innovation funding, Hamzat said the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council had supported 80 researchers and more than 75 start-ups, with approximately ₦1 billion available in grants for innovators.

He added that the state was considering an innovation law that would allocate a fixed proportion of its annual budget to research, development and risk capital, providing more predictable funding for local technology enterprises.

Hamzat called for stronger collaboration between governments and industry, urging both sides to establish measurable commitments to accelerate digital transformation and ensure that investments delivered practical benefits to citizens.

Earlier, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CWG Plc, Adewale Adeyipo, said Africa needed to prioritise digital sovereignty, local artificial intelligence infrastructure and the sustainable deployment of technology.

Adeyipo urged governments and technology companies to move beyond experimentation and pilot projects towards developing commercially viable solutions that could strengthen the continent’s technological independence.

He called for increased investment in local computing infrastructure, affordable digital devices and digital literacy to broaden access to technology.

Adeyipo also stressed the need to expand data centre capacity, improve reliable power supply and strengthen fibre connectivity to support the development of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.

The speakers agreed that sustained investment, effective institutions and measurable outcomes were essential to building a digital ecosystem capable of creating jobs, improving public services and supporting economic growth across Africa.