Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat at the fifth edition of TeXcellence, held at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos Photo: Lagos State
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has called on African governments and the private sector to increase investment in digital infrastructure, local innovation and technology development to accelerate the continent’s digital transformation.
According to a statement obtained from the state government’s X handle on Wednesday, Hamzat made the call on Tuesday at the fifth edition of TeXcellence, held at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, where he said Africa’s challenge was no longer a lack of innovation but the inability to scale successful ideas into sustainable solutions capable of reaching millions of people.
The event, themed “Accelerating Africa’s Digital Future Lacks Direction and a Sustained Force,” brought together stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening the continent’s digital economy.
According to Hamzat, African countries must dismantle bureaucratic bottlenecks, establish predictable policies and implement institutional reforms that would enable technology-driven businesses to grow and deliver widespread economic and social benefits.
He stressed that sustained investment in digital infrastructure and local innovation was essential to translating technological breakthroughs into practical solutions.
“Africa must move beyond developing innovative ideas to building the systems, infrastructure and institutions required to scale those ideas into solutions that can improve the lives of millions of people,” Hamzat said.
He added that governments must create an enabling environment for technology companies to grow, attract investment and develop solutions tailored to the continent’s needs.
Highlighting Lagos State’s investment in digital infrastructure, Hamzat disclosed that about 3,000 kilometres of fibre ducts and networks had been laid, while an additional $22m had been invested towards developing a unified 6,000-kilometre network.
He also revealed 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.
Hamzat said the state’s digital transformation drive was aimed at improving service delivery and making government processes more accessible to residents and businesses.
The deputy governor further disclosed that the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) had supported 80 researchers and more than 75 startups, with approximately N1bn available in grants for innovators.
He added that the state was considering an innovation law that would commit a fixed proportion of its annual budget to research, development and risk capital.
According to him, the proposed legislation would provide sustained funding for local technology enterprises and strengthen the state’s innovation ecosystem.
“Supporting innovation requires more than occasional funding. We must establish sustainable mechanisms that allow researchers, entrepreneurs and technology companies to develop their ideas, attract investment and build businesses that can compete globally,” he said.
Hamzat also called for stronger collaboration between government and industry, urging both sectors to establish measurable commitments to accelerate digital transformation.
Earlier, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CWG Plc, Adewale Adeyipo, described TeXcellence as a strategic platform that had evolved over five years into a forum for shaping Africa’s digital future.
Adeyipo urged African governments, technology companies and other stakeholders to prioritise digital sovereignty, local artificial intelligence infrastructure and the sustainable deployment of technology.
He challenged stakeholders to move beyond experimenting with technology and focus on building and deploying sustainable solutions that would strengthen Africa’s ownership of its technological future.
“Africa must take deliberate steps to own and shape its digital future rather than depend solely on innovations and infrastructure developed elsewhere,” Adeyipo said.
He said the continent needed to invest in local computing infrastructure, expand access to affordable digital devices and improve digital literacy to ensure that more people benefited from technological advancement.
Adeyipo also stressed the importance of moving artificial intelligence solutions beyond pilot projects into reliable and commercially viable systems.
“We must move beyond pilot projects and experimentation to deploy technology solutions that are sustainable, commercially viable and capable of delivering measurable benefits to our people,” he said.
He maintained that Africa’s digital transformation required clear direction, sustained investment and measurable outcomes rather than an emphasis on speed alone.
The discussions underscored the need for governments, businesses and technology stakeholders to work together to build a sustainable digital ecosystem capable of supporting economic growth, creating jobs and improving public service delivery across the continent.