Global technology firms, Lakeba Group, Next Digital, AqlanX, and Agentic Dynamic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a new joint venture called: AfricAI.
The firms say the initiative is designed to advance, localise, deploy, and commercialise enterprise-grade AI solutions tailored to Africa’s unique markets.
Nigeria has been chosen as AfricAI’s first hub, leveraging the country’s fast-growing network of national data centers and edge infrastructure.
According to the firms, the AfricAI will combine four complementary strengths: global IP, regional expertise, deployment excellence, and next-generation agentic AI architecture.
Strategic Deployments and Public-Private Partnerships
AfricAI plans to roll out AI solutions for identity and compliance, multilingual healthcare services, smart document validation, AI-driven assistants, and infrastructure resilience.
The joint venture will also also establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) to cultivate a regional talent pipeline in AI development, cybersecurity, model tuning, and ethical deployment, according to the firms.
“AfricAI is about more than software. It’s about exporting our intelligence, building our future on our terms, and making Africa a force in the global AI conversation. Nigeria will lead that movement and we are ready,” Prince Malik Ado-Ibrahim, Chairman of Next Digital said.
To accelerate adoption, the firms say AfricAI will support multilingual models, federated AI networks, and agentic workflows, ensuring interoperability across African markets.
Building a Distributed AI Network for Africa
Beyond Nigeria, the venture is targeting applications in agriculture, urban planning, education, and public services to empower African governments, enterprises, and communities.
By 2026, the firms noted that AfricAI aims to expand operations into Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Rwanda, while training more than 100 AI professionals across the continent.
Giuseppe Porcelli, CEO of Lakeba Group, described AfricAI as a “bold next step” in the company’s global AI journey.
“AfricAI marks a bold next step not just for Lakeba, but for the future of sovereign AI. Nigeria offers the ideal launchpad for building a truly African AI ecosystem. We are proud to architect the AI infrastructure Africa needs and deserves,” Giuseppe said.
Demetrio Russo, Founder of AqlanX, also underscored the importance of digital trust and compliance.
“AfricAI reflects a strategic intent by AqlanX to help shape Africa’s digital sovereignty agenda while enabling secure, AI-first innovation ecosystems built for scale, ethics, and inclusion,” Russo said.
“We believe in scalable, domain-specific automation that truly supports human workflows,” Eren Sivasli, Chairman of Agentic Dynamic said. “That’s why we’re excited to bring Agentic Dynamic’s segment-oriented agent architecture into this multinational collaboration.”
AI Momentum in Africa
Africa’s AI market is gaining real momentum, estimated at $4.51 billion in 2025, and expected to surge to $18.27 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 26.3%.
According to experts, these numbers underscore the rationale behind AfricAI’s launch. With a continent-wide AI ecosystem on the brink of growth, the joint venture represents strategic convergence of international expertise and local insights.
With Africa’s AI market poised for growth, and Nigeria as a fast-rising hub, industry leaders say the founding of AfricAI is both timely and visionary, as it aims to ensure that AI growth is inclusive, sovereign, and aligned with African priorities.
Talking Points
At Techparley, we see AfricAI as a bold attempt to localise and commercialise AI for Africa, rather than importing one-size-fits-all platforms. By pooling the strengths of Lakeba, Next Digital, AqlanX, and Agentic Dynamic, the joint venture signals that Africa’s AI ecosystem is ready for global collaboration on its own terms.
The decision to start in Nigeria is strategic. With expanding national data centres, edge infrastructure, and a vibrant tech talent base, Nigeria offers the right environment to test sovereign AI solutions before scaling them to other African markets.
AfricAI’s focus on identity, compliance, healthcare, and multilingual services highlights a practical approach: targeting pressing needs that can demonstrate immediate value to governments, enterprises, and citizens alike. This could help accelerate trust and adoption.
The commitment to federated AI networks and agentic workflows shows an understanding of Africa’s diversity and complexity. Rather than imposing rigid systems, AfricAI is attempting to design interoperable tools that reflect how businesses and communities actually operate.
Still, challenges remain. Long-term adoption will depend on affordability, digital trust, and ensuring that Africans are not just users but owners of the ecosystem. Without this, AfricAI risks being seen as externally driven despite its local partnerships.
If executed well, AfricAI has the potential to set a precedent for sovereign AI in Africa, positioning Nigeria, and by extension the continent, as not just consumers but shapers of the global AI future.
