Nigeria Tops Africa in AI Surveillance Spending at $470 Million

Abuja/ New Delhi: Nigeria has spent more than $470 million on artificial intelligence-powered surveillance technology, making it the largest buyer of smart city surveillance infrastructure on the African continent, according to a March 2026 report by the Institute of Development Studies.

The report, titled “Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance Across 11 Countries,“ examined deployments across Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Across all 11 countries, governments have spent at least $2 billion on Chinese-built surveillance systems.

Nigeria’s investment is concentrated in AI-enabled facial recognition systems and automatic number plate recognition technology. Mauritius ranked second among the 11 countries at $456 million, with Kenya third at $219 million.

Chinese companies supplied surveillance infrastructure across all 11 countries reviewed. The technology includes high-definition cameras, centralised control facilities, and analytics software capable of identifying individuals and tracking vehicle movements in real time.

Other suppliers, including firms from South Korea, Israel, and the United States, are also present in the market, though Chinese firms account for the majority of deployments.

The IDS report found limited evidence that the expansion of digital surveillance has reduced crime across the countries studied. Court records reviewed by the researchers did not show a significant number of prosecutions secured using surveillance footage, or any measurable reduction in terrorism or serious crime attributable to the technology.

The findings have drawn attention to questions of data sovereignty. Most surveillance systems are supplied and financed by Chinese companies through concessional lending arrangements, and the report notes the absence of adequate legal frameworks to protect citizens across the countries studied.

At the policy level, Nigeria is moving to regulate AI surveillance. The country is progressing on a National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill that would classify surveillance as a high-risk AI application and require annual impact assessments from developers.

As of July 2026, the bill has advanced to its final legislative stages in the Senate and is expected to pass into law within weeks, while the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy has directed regulators to maintain the current framework and harmonise overlapping rules on internet platforms, online intermediaries, and cross-cutting digital issues through a new joint technical coordination committee.

On the research side, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani announced at the 50th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Jos on January 7, 2026 that the federal government would establish Nigeria’s first National Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence at the institution.

The center is expected to serve as a hub for AI research, skills development, and policy engagement, with support from the ministry.

Tijani described the initiative as part of Nigeria’s determination to play an active role in shaping how artificial intelligence is developed and governed globally.

Nigeria has not entered any exclusive arrangement with China for surveillance procurement. Officials maintain that technology is sourced based on cost, performance, and compatibility with existing systems.

The IDS report concludes that governments across Africa are investing in surveillance technology as a shortcut to security, and warns that without stronger legal oversight, the expansion of AI-enabled monitoring risks violating citizens’ right to privacy.