Nigeria signs Canadian AI deals to build local infrastructure
Nigeria's tech agency has partnered with two Canadian artificial intelligence firms to build domestic infrastructure and expand financial inclusion, advancing a sovereign digital strategy tied to a $1 trillion economy target.
The National Information Technology Development Agency has signed memoranda of understanding with Canadian technology companies Goose FL and Fireflies AI in Toronto. NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi witnessed the agreements, which target financial inclusion, local AI infrastructure and broader digital economy growth. The agency disclosed the deals on Tuesday.
For market participants, the agreements signal Nigeria’s intent to reduce its reliance on foreign-controlled technology systems by fostering domestic AI capabilities. Rather than simply consuming imported software, the country is positioning its local tech ecosystem to build, manage and profit from artificial intelligence. This strategy directly supports President Bola Tinubu’s broader macroeconomic objective of scaling Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030, anchored heavily on digital innovation.
A core focus of the new Canadian partnerships is extending the reach of digital finance. NITDA stated the agreements will prioritize "developing innovative technology solutions that broaden access to digital financial services and create sustainable economic opportunities for underserved communities." For fintech operators and investors, this represents a state-backed push to build the foundational infrastructure required to serve Nigeria's significant unbanked population.
Sovereign infrastructure push
The Toronto agreements are the latest in a rapid series of state-led digital build-outs. In August, NITDA solidified its National Sovereign Cloud Initiative by signing key regulatory instruments. Those included the National Cloud Computing Guideline, the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework and the National Cloud Investment Strategy, all designed to establish a trusted, domestically controlled cloud ecosystem.
June saw the agency partner with TikTok to launch a Digital Commerce Lab for small and medium-sized enterprises in Lagos, backed by a $20,000 pilot Train-the-Trainer programme. NITDA also signed a memorandum with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission to accelerate digital skills across the region's six states.
New compliance market
As NITDA pulls in international expertise, it is simultaneously imposing stricter standards on domestic tech deployment. The agency has launched the National Software Quality Assurance Framework, signed under the NITDA Act 2007, to standardize software development across the federal government.
From the second quarter of 2027, obtaining IT Project Clearance for federal software projects will require mandatory independent third-party testing and certification. NITDA intends to license private technology firms to conduct these assessments. For the technology sector, this mandate creates a definitive new revenue stream in compliance and testing services, while promising to curb the costly IT failures that have historically plagued public sector digital projects.
