By Juliet Umeh
Africa’s Artificial Intelligence, AI, ambitions are facing a critical test, inadequate infrastructure. From limited data center capacity to insufficient cloud and connectivity systems, experts say the continent’s readiness for large-scale AI deployment remains constrained.
But a new industry dialogue aims to change that narrative.
On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, technology leaders, regulators, and industry executives will gather virtually for the Africa Hyperscalers AI-Readiness Session, themed “AI-Ready Africa: Building the Compute, Cloud, and Connectivity Foundations for the Next Digital Leap.”
At the center of the discussion is Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), who will deliver the keynote address. Dr. Maida is expected to outline Nigeria’s strategy for supporting AI growth through robust digital infrastructure, improved spectrum efficiency, and enabling regulation.
Speaking ahead of the event, Temitope Osunrinde, Executive Director of Africa Hyperscalers, said the forum was conceived to move Africa “from awareness to readiness” in its AI journey.
“AI offers major opportunities for Africa’s digital economy,” Osunrinde noted. “But we must first ensure our networks, data centers, and power systems can support this next wave of innovation.”
The session will examine practical pathways for solving the infrastructure bottlenecks slowing AI adoption — including how telecom operators can plan smarter networks, how data centers can scale sustainably, and how cloud providers can optimize regional capacity to support AI workloads.
Confirmed speakers include Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Dr. Ayotunde Coker, CEO, Open Access Data Centres; Bukola Ajayi, General Manager, Architecture & Enterprise IT, MTN; Kendall Ananyi, CEO, Tizeti; Oladejo Olawumi, Director, IT Infrastructure Solutions, NITDA; Okechi Osuagwu, Regional Account Executive, Vertiv; Mike Salem, Vice President/Chief Information Security Officer and Group Head of Artificial Intelligence; and Dotun Adeoye, Co-Founder, AI in Nigeria.
Together, they will explore how policy, infrastructure, and talent development must align to make Africa AI-ready.
“If we don’t address computer and connectivity gaps now, we risk widening the global AI divide,” Osunrinde warned.
The session, open to senior executives, regulators, and technology partners, will be held online at 10:00 AM WAT, and aims to provide a clear roadmap for building the digital foundations that can unlock Africa’s next innovation frontier.
