The 2025 edition of AI Forum Nigeria has concluded in Lagos, bringing together senior business leaders, technology executives and government officials to discuss how artificial intelligence can drive enterprise transformation in Nigeria.
The forum, organised by OLAK Events Management, was themed “Goodbye Digital Transformation, Hello AI First Business”, signalling a shift from conventional digitisation towards AI-first strategies.
Delegates explored how Nigerian enterprises, including small and medium-sized businesses, can implement AI to improve efficiency, decision-making and competitiveness. Participation from leading corporations and innovators reflected growing national interest in artificial intelligence as a catalyst for economic growth.
The Chief Executive Officer of Cognit DX, Alaa Dalghan, delivered the keynote, urging organisations to move beyond experimentation and build scalable AI architectures across their operations. The Chief Executive Officer of T2Mobile, Obafemi Banigbe, stressed disciplined leadership, effective execution and process redesign as essential for an AI-first approach.
Infrastructure and data were recurring themes. The Chief Executive Officer of Rack Centre, Lars Johannisson, highlighted the importance of resilient data centres and cloud capacity for enabling AI at scale, while Chief Executive Officer of CitiData Centre, Andie Moyan, emphasised the need for data integrity, accessibility and real-time processing as the foundation for AI deployment.
Speakers also addressed how AI adoption can be accessible to enterprises of all sizes. The Country Manager for Zoho Corporation Nigeria, Kehinde Ogundare, highlighted strategies for implementing AI in a cost-effective and manageable way, reinforcing that AI-first transformation is not limited to large organisations.
The forum enjoyed backing from major technology and infrastructure partners, including Microsoft, Open Access Data Centres, ManageEngine, Zoho and Rack Centre, reflecting confidence in Nigeria’s AI ecosystem and the forum’s role in advancing collaboration and adoption.
Participants concluded that AI represents a transformative opportunity for Nigerian enterprises over the next decade. The forum closed with a commitment to strengthen data infrastructure, governance, talent development and responsible AI adoption, setting the stage for an AI-driven growth agenda across industries.
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