Nigeria, the most populous Black nation in Africa, has spent an estimated $470 million on artificial intelligence-powered surveillance devices, underscoring its growing investment in advanced security and smart city technologies. The spending positions Nigeria as the largest investor in AI-driven surveillance infrastructure in Africa, highlighting a significant shift toward technology-led governance and public safety systems.
The report, titled “Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance Across 11 Countries,” published by the Institute of Development Studies, found that Nigeria’s investments span facial recognition platforms, automatic number plate recognition systems, and centralised command-and-control centres designed to enable real-time monitoring and rapid response by security agencies.
According to the study, the adoption of these technologies reflects a transition from traditional passive surveillance to intelligent systems capable of analysing live data streams for threat detection, traffic management, and broader urban planning functions.
The researchers also noted that much of the surveillance infrastructure across the continent is supplied by Chinese technology firms and often financed through concessional lending arrangements, enabling large-scale deployments in major urban centres.
However, the report raised concerns about transparency and accountability, warning that the true scale of spending may be higher due to limited public disclosure, opaque procurement processes, and the sensitive nature of national security investments.
The findings underscore a wider trend across Africa, where governments are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into public infrastructure as part of efforts to modernise cities, improve law enforcement capabilities, and respond to evolving security challenges.
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