The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Smartcomply, Gbemisola Osunrinde, says Nigeria’s inability to store locally generated data limits the growth of developers.
Osunrinde said this in an interview with reporters in Lagos on Saturday.
Smartcomply operates as Smartcomply Technology Solutions Limited, a Nigerian technology company specialising in cybersecurity, data protection, regulatory compliance and AI-driven solutions.
Osunrinde said the difficulty of consolidating and organising data locally hindered developers from building original AI products tailored to the country’s needs.
This, she said, forced many to rely on foreign-developed models and technologies.
Although Nigerian developers had the capacity to develop homegrown solutions, the absence of a centralised, accessible repository of local data meant they often had to build on foreign AI platforms rather than develop independent systems, she said.
Osunrinde said the country’s AI ecosystem was evolving along two paths: the ambition to develop sovereign AI solutions reflecting African languages, cultures and realities, and the economic reality of relying on foreign infrastructure and technology providers.
Developing homegrown AI requires foundational models that understand African languages and cultural contexts, supported by locally generated datasets and shared computing infrastructure, she said.
Data collected from schools, open markets, rural health centres and other sectors could provide the foundation for AI applications that address specific Nigerian and African challenges, she added.
“We need to have a central point where we put all this information, aggregating local datasets from African schools to open markets and rural health clinics, basically ensuring that from all angles, we are getting all this information,” she said.
Osunrinde stressed that data localisation was critical, saying that keeping locally generated information within the country would help build a repository that indigenous developers could access to create relevant solutions.
She also identified inadequate electricity, limited access to advanced computer chips, insufficient data-centre capacity and funding constraints as major obstacles to developing foundational AI models locally.
The CEO expressed concern that dependence on foreign investors could influence the direction of African AI innovation. Developers seeking funding were often pressured to prioritise global markets over local problems, she said.
Many developers initially conceived solutions to address African challenges but were compelled to adjust their products to meet investors’ expectations of faster returns and wider international markets, she added.
“Developers do want to develop for Africa, but they are constrained. They don’t have the funding, and most of the investors are foreigners.
“Once they invest, they are looking at numbers and want to get their returns immediately,” she said.
According to Osunrinde, this could gradually shift African AI development away from local languages, markets and socioeconomic realities towards globally competitive products that may not adequately address indigenous needs.
She argued that building African-focused AI solutions required more than developing applications on foreign platforms; local capacity to develop and sustain the underlying technology was also needed.
Osunrinde called for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector to provide funding, infrastructure and an enabling environment for indigenous AI developers.
Government-backed innovation programmes and private-sector sponsorships could identify promising developers and support them in building practical AI products, she said.
However, she cautioned that such interventions must go beyond competitions, grants and one-off training programmes to include sustained funding, mentorship and market access.
“The major problem is not only funding them to develop that thing, but also retaining them.
“There should be continuity, where they are able to keep funding them and keep them developing something for the country,” she said.
Osunrinde urged government institutions to become early adopters of locally developed AI products. She identified the military, police, anti-corruption agencies and hospitals as potential testing grounds for indigenous solutions.
Government adoption would create an initial market for local developers, build public confidence in Nigerian AI products and encourage further innovation, she said.
Locally sourced and properly organised datasets could enable developers to create solutions for agriculture, healthcare, education and other critical sectors, she added.
Osunrinde maintained that the challenge was not necessarily a lack of innovative ideas or technical talent, but the absence of accessible local datasets and the infrastructure needed to turn those ideas into functional products.
She argued that Nigeria could attract more foreign investors and strategic partners by developing AI solutions capable of providing reliable insights into African markets—markets that international companies might otherwise struggle to understand.
Citing China as an example, she said locally developed technologies and solutions could play a significant role in the domestic economy.
Nigeria could leverage its position to develop AI solutions that could later be expanded across other African countries, she added.
Osunrinde advocated shifting national AI development priorities from focusing predominantly on training programmes to helping trainees develop, commercialise and deploy practical products.
Such a transition would help Nigeria move from being primarily a consumer of foreign AI technologies to a producer of solutions capable of attracting investment, creating economic opportunities and addressing local challenges, she said.
