By Ayomide Otitoju
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has urged African governments and the private sector to invest in digital infrastructure, predictable policies and local innovation 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, Lagos, under the theme, “Accelerating Africa’s Digital Future: Lacks Direction and a Sustained Force.”
He said Africa’s major challenge was no longer a shortage of innovation but the difficulty of scaling successful ideas into sustainable solutions capable of reaching millions of people.
According to him, governments must address bureaucratic bottlenecks and create an enabling environment for technology-driven businesses and research initiatives to grow.
“Africa does not have an innovation problem. We have a scaling problem. And scale is a systems question. The distance between a good idea and a system that works for millions — that is where government lives,” Hamzat said.
Speaking on the topic, “The Enabling State: What Government Must Become for Technology to Scale,” the deputy governor said governments must move beyond their traditional regulatory roles to provide shared digital infrastructure, support research and development, and establish institutions capable of sustaining technological progress beyond individual administrations.
He highlighted Lagos State’s investment in digital infrastructure, disclosing that about 3,000 kilometres of fibre ducts and networks had been laid, with a further $22 million invested towards developing a unified 6,000-kilometre network.
Hamzat added that more than 6.4 million residents had been enrolled in the state’s resident identity system, while digital reforms had streamlined public services, including physical planning permits and mortgage consent processing.
He also said the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) had supported 80 researchers and more than 75 startups, with approximately ₦1 billion available in grants for innovators.
The state, he added, was considering an innovation law that would allocate a fixed proportion of its annual budget to research, development and risk capital to ensure sustained support for local technology enterprises.
Hamzat called for stronger collaboration between government and industry, urging both sides to establish measurable commitments to accelerate digital transformation.
In his welcome address, CWG Plc Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adewale Adeyipo, described TeXcellence as a platform that had evolved over five years into a strategic forum for shaping Africa’s digital future.
Adeyipo urged African governments and technology companies to prioritise digital sovereignty, local artificial intelligence infrastructure and sustainable technology deployment.
He said the continent must move beyond technology experimentation to developing and deploying reliable solutions that strengthen Africa’s control over its digital future.
According to him, Africa needs deliberate investment in local computing infrastructure, affordable digital devices and digital literacy to ensure artificial intelligence solutions progress beyond pilot projects into commercially viable systems.
He stressed that the continent’s digital transformation required clear direction, sustained investment and measurable outcomes rather than speed alone.
