Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital city, says that it plans to increase the contribution of Information and Communication Technology to its economy by 100 per cent by 2030.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, Mr Olatunbosun Alake, said at the Art of Technology Lagos 7.0, on Thursday in Lagos that by 2030, that the figure that was missing here was 100 per cent and so, “the share of Lagos’s economy today that IT sells, we want to increase by 100 per cent”.
“We want to drive an increase in invention and scientific research activity by about 50 per cent to solve Lagos’s challenges. That means Lagos is the place to solve it. And we want to make Lagos a major technology hub in the world by 2030. I think we can achieve this,” he said.
Although there was no data available for the contribution of ICT to Lagos’s economy, its GDP reached N14.85tn in Q1 2025, with 1.75 per cent real growth led by services.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the ICT sector contributed 11.18 per cent to the Nigerian GDP in Q2 2025, and Lagos is the nation’s ICT and economic hub.
The commissioner added that Lagos State had been introducing AI models in its labour digital quarter to serve the citizens better.
“So, practically, we have been using AI for a lot of our work to drive more efficient results and to drive value. And of course, let us lead Nigeria’s AI scene with 6 billion in funding for the course between 2019 and 2024,” Alake mentioned.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, disclosed that the government was working on the Lagos Innovation Bill, which, when passed into law, would provide a framework for the promotion of research and innovation in the state.
“The current government should be designed to foster innovation as a core part of the social economy strategy of our state. It strengthens intellectual property protection and expands access to funding for startups and researchers, deepening collaboration among our governments, academia, industry, and regulators. It also provides a stable environment for the foundation,” he said.
He added that as the state strengthened its e-governance, smart city system, and internet to printers and AI, “server security is no longer an option. It is a firewall that protects our ambitions. So, we are not just building technology; we must also secure it. So, our connecting technology leaders of the stage.”
“The current government should be designed to foster innovation as a core part of the social economy strategy of our state. It strengthens intellectual property protection and expands access to funding for startups and researchers, deepening collaboration among our governments, academia, industry, and regulators. It also provides a stable environment for the foundation,” Hamzat said.
GIK/APA