The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the telecommunications landscape across Africa, with industry leaders calling for greater investment in resilient digital infrastructure to unlock the continent’s full economic potential.
This was the consensus at the fourth edition of the West Africa Telecoms Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition (WATISE 4.0) and Awards, organised by TechnologyMirror under the theme, “The Resilient AI Fabric: Trust, Integrity, and Sustainability in Next Generation Network Infrastructure.”
Delivering the keynote address, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, said AI adoption would significantly increase the demand for broadband connectivity, data traffic and resilient telecommunications infrastructure across Nigeria and the African continent.
According to him, as AI becomes integrated into critical sectors such as healthcare, education, financial services, commerce and governance, telecom operators must prepare for unprecedented growth in data consumption.
“The more AI becomes embedded in our daily lives, the greater the demand for connectivity. What Nigeria requires is not just connectivity, but ultra-reliable, high-capacity fibre networks, low-latency transmission systems and resilient infrastructure capable of supporting real-time digital services,” he said.
Adebayo stressed that emerging technologies including AI-powered enterprises, autonomous systems, remote healthcare, smart cities and real-time financial transactions will depend on highly reliable telecommunications networks.
He noted that network resilience would become a necessity rather than a convenience in the AI era, urging stakeholders to prioritise investments capable of supporting next-generation digital services.
Speaking on “Next-G Telecoms Infrastructure and Ethical AI in Network Management,” the Group Managing Director of ipNX, represented by the Director of Strategic Business Initiatives, Mr. Olusola Teniola, highlighted the transformative role AI is already playing in telecom operations.
According to him, AI is helping operators predict and prevent network failures before they occur, optimise traffic management through intelligent load balancing, improve customer experience with personalised services and automated fault resolution, while strengthening cybersecurity through real-time threat detection and rapid response capabilities.
“The future belongs not to the nations with the most technology, but to those that deploy technology responsibly, inclusively and in service of their people,” he stated.
A major highlight of the summit was a fireside discussion where experts unanimously called for accelerated investment in indigenous AI infrastructure, local data centres, cloud computing capacity and home-grown AI models to reduce Africa’s dependence on foreign technology platforms.
Chief Operating Officer of WTES Projects, Mr. Chidi Ajuzie, observed that Nigeria currently occupies the position of a technology consumer within the global AI ecosystem rather than a producer.
He maintained that the country must deliberately invest in AI-ready infrastructure, broadband connectivity, local innovation, digital literacy and talent development to become globally competitive.
Ajuzie also advocated the development of AI models built around African languages, cultures and local datasets to ensure solutions adequately address the continent’s unique realities.
Contributing to the discussion, Mr. Seun Olorunnisola of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) stressed the importance of localising internet traffic.
According to him, hosting more digital content and AI services within Nigeria would reduce latency, improve service quality and create a stronger foundation for AI-powered applications.
Also speaking, Mr. Olusola Teniola identified accessibility, affordability and availability as the three critical pillars required to accelerate AI adoption across Africa.
He urged governments to create policies that protect infrastructure investments while encouraging innovation capable of positioning African countries as competitive players in the global digital economy.
The National Secretary of the Association of Financial Inclusion Agents of Nigeria (AFIAN), Mr. Stephen Adeoye, highlighted AI’s growing contribution to financial inclusion, noting that banks and fintech companies now deploy AI-powered solutions for fraud detection, transaction monitoring, customer verification and credit assessment.
Stakeholders agreed that Africa’s ability to compete in the emerging AI-driven economy would depend largely on sustained investments in telecommunications infrastructure, local AI innovation, cybersecurity, digital skills development and enabling government policies.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Convener of WATISE and Country Editor of TechnologyMirror, Mr. Isaiah Erhiawarien, said the 2026 edition of the summit was designed to stimulate industry conversations around AI-powered telecommunications infrastructure capable of delivering more efficient, secure and sustainable digital services across West Africa.
He noted that telecom operators are increasingly deploying AI-powered Radio Access Networks (AI-RAN) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) infrastructure to improve network performance, enhance customer experience and reduce spam communications.
The summit ended with a strong call on governments, telecom operators, technology companies and regulators to collaborate in building trusted, resilient and sustainable AI-enabled telecommunications infrastructure that will accelerate Africa’s digital transformation and economic growth.
