ABUJA — Across Nigeria today, millions of people are running businesses, studying, getting healthcare and paying for services online. From digital banking and e-commerce to education and logistics, technology is changing how Nigerians live and work.

But behind all of that is infrastructure. Things like data centres, cloud computing, fast internet and secure systems are now the foundation of a modern economy. Globally, the race is no longer just for oil. It is for computing power. The power that drives artificial intelligence and digital economies. Without it, innovation cannot grow, businesses pay more to operate, and countries risk falling behind.

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, says it is responding by investing in the digital foundations Nigeria will need for the future. As the country’s sovereign investment institution, NSIA says its job is to create long-term value through investments that build economic resilience.

‎A key project is the KASI Hyperscale Data Centre. It is a large, Nigerian-owned facility that will provide data storage, cloud services, and computing power for artificial intelligence. It will serve banks, telecoms, hospitals, schools and government.

NSIA says many Nigerian companies currently pay in foreign currency to store data abroad. When fully built, KASI is expected to have about 100 megawatts of capacity, making it one of the biggest AI-ready data centres in Africa. The Authority says the benefits will include faster digital payments, more reliable banking, better online health and education services, and savings in foreign exchange. It should also create jobs in construction and in tech, and help startups grow by cutting the cost of going digital.

‎NSIA is also investing in people. Through the NSIA Prize for Innovation, the Authority supports young Nigerian entrepreneurs with funding, training and mentoring. The aim is to help local solutions in health, education, agriculture and finance grow and compete globally.

‎To address funding gaps, NSIA is putting money into venture capital and private equity through its Future Generations Fund. This gives early-stage and growing tech companies the capital they need to scale. NSIA also partnered with Japan’s JICA to set up a 50 million dollar Impact Innovation Fund for tech businesses solving social problems.

‎According to NSIA Managing Director Aminu Umar-Sadiq, the goal is clear. Build the infrastructure, provide the capital, and support the innovators so Nigeria can lead, not just watch, in the age of artificial intelligence.