Nigeria proposes pan-African AI computing resource sharing

Nigeria’s Communications Minister, Bosun Tijani, has proposed a collaborative framework to share artificial intelligence computing resources among African nations. Speaking at the BUILD 2026 conference in Abuja, Tijani suggested that aggregating GPU capacity could allow researchers to access the scale necessary to train advanced models that no single nation could support alone.

The proposal aims to connect Nigerian computing resources with capacity in Rwanda, Senegal, and Kenya. This initiative seeks to address the continent's significant infrastructure deficit; Africa currently accounts for less than 1% of global data center capacity, with active capacity at approximately 360MW compared to a global 55GW.

By pooling resources, the initiative intends to reduce the dependence of African researchers on external platforms and lower the costs and timelines associated with AI development. The success of the plan will depend on establishing practical agreements regarding data protection, costs, connectivity, and electricity infrastructure.