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Africa’s digital future will not be determined merely by how quickly its governments, businesses and citizens adopt technology, but by how effectively the continent builds, owns and deploys the infrastructure, intellectual property and institutions needed to convert innovation into sustainable economic value.
This was the central message emerging from the fifth edition of TeXcellence, organised by CWG Plc at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, on October 13, 2026. With the theme, “Accelerating Africa’s Digital Future,” the conference brought together policymakers, technology executives, business leaders, innovators and creative professionals to confront a fundamental question: how can Africa translate its growing digital capabilities into productive economic activities, employment opportunities and globally competitive businesses?
The importance of this question cannot be overstated. Africa has demonstrated that it can develop technology-driven solutions capable of transforming entire industries. Its mobile money ecosystem offers compelling evidence of this capacity. Yet, significant gaps remain in computing infrastructure, broadband accessibility, digital skills, financing, public-sector implementation and local ownership of intellectual property.
TeXcellence 5.0 therefore represented more than another gathering of technology enthusiasts. Its significance lay in its attempt to move the continental conversation beyond technological possibilities towards the practical decisions, investments and partnerships required to make digital transformation work for businesses, governments and ordinary citizens.
Africa’s Digital Challenge Is Now About Scaling
Founder of CWG Plc, Mr. Austin Okere, provided an important perspective on the relationship between innovation, institutional experience and Africa’s technological development when he discussed the company’s evolution since its establishment in 1992.
According to him, CWG began as a reseller of computer hardware and software before expanding into systems integration, managed services and enterprise technology solutions. As customers’ requirements became more sophisticated, the company moved towards developing proprietary products and solutions designed around African realities.
Today, CWG describes itself as a Pan-African technology company with more than 850 employees and operations spanning West, East and Central Africa. Its capabilities include infrastructure services, cloud computing, software integration, communications and managed services.
This evolution illustrates a broader lesson for Africa’s technology ecosystem: sustainable digital development requires more than access to imported equipment and software. It demands the gradual development of local expertise, institutional capacity, intellectual property and businesses capable of designing, maintaining and improving the systems on which modern economies depend.
CWG’s smart metering solutions, which are intended to improve energy measurement, reduce losses and address billing inefficiencies, demonstrate how technology can respond to challenges that directly affect households and businesses. Its data centre services similarly illustrate the importance of secure hosting, reliable infrastructure and disaster recovery in supporting enterprises operating in an increasingly digital economy.
The company’s ISO 9001 certification also reflects its stated commitment to quality management. However, the wider significance of its experience lies in the need for African technology companies to move beyond supplying equipment towards building solutions that address local problems and create enduring economic value.
The challenge is to replicate this transition across more African businesses and industries.
As Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, aptly observed at the conference, “Africa does not have an innovation problem. We have a scaling problem.”
His assessment captures the central weakness in much of Africa’s innovation ecosystem. Promising ideas emerge from universities, start-ups, research institutions and technology hubs, but many struggle to secure financing, attract customers, navigate regulation or achieve commercial deployment.
The consequence is a persistent gap between innovation and economic impact. Africa needs mechanisms that help promising prototypes become commercially viable products, translate research into industrial applications and turn technology investments into measurable improvements in productivity.
TeXcellence’s emphasis on implementation is therefore particularly relevant. Its value should ultimately be measured by the partnerships established, businesses strengthened, policies implemented and solutions deployed following the conference.
The Digital Economy Is Expanding, but Infrastructure Must Catch Up
The economic indicators presented at TeXcellence suggest that Africa’s digital transformation is gathering momentum.
Figures cited in the conference material indicate that more than $2 trillion moved through mobile money globally in 2025, with approximately $1.4 trillion, or 66 per cent, attributed to sub-Saharan Africa.
This represents a powerful demonstration of Africa’s capacity to develop and scale financial technology suited to its economic circumstances.
The lesson is particularly important. Rather than simply reproducing established financial systems, African innovators developed mobile money services that expanded access to transactions for individuals and businesses underserved by conventional banking infrastructure.
The next challenge is to reproduce this success in artificial intelligence, digital public services, healthcare technology, agricultural innovation and other sectors where locally developed solutions could improve productivity and expand economic participation.
The conference material also placed mobile technology’s contribution to Africa’s economy at approximately $240 billion, equivalent to about 7.8 per cent of continental gross domestic product, while supporting an estimated 13 million jobs.
In Nigeria, the information and communications sector contributed 11.74 per cent to real GDP in the second quarter of 2026, according to figures cited by CWG Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Wale Adeyipo , with year-on-year growth of 9.62 per cent.
These figures underline the growing importance of digital services to economic activity. However, expansion in telecommunications and digital transactions does not automatically translate into technological independence.
A critical concern highlighted by Adeyipo was Africa’s limited data centre capacity. The conference estimated that the continent accounted for approximately 0.6 per cent of global data centre capacity despite representing about 18 to 19 per cent of the world’s population.
This imbalance raises important questions about the continent’s readiness for an economy increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data-intensive services.
Without adequate computing infrastructure, reliable electricity and affordable connectivity, African businesses may become increasingly dependent on infrastructure located outside the continent. Such dependence could expose them to higher costs, external disruptions and reduced control over strategically important data.
The implication is clear: investment in digital infrastructure must become a central component of Africa’s economic development strategy.
Adeyipo also cited approximately $4.1 billion in funding raised by African technology companies in 2025, comprising $2.4 billion in equity and $1.6 billion in debt. The reported increase in debt financing suggests that lenders are becoming more involved in funding technology businesses.
Nevertheless, the sustainability of this trend will depend on the ability of companies to generate reliable revenue, manage financial obligations and demonstrate viable business models.
Capital is essential, but funding alone cannot compensate for weak infrastructure, inadequate skills or products that fail to meet genuine market needs.
Government Must Build Systems That Work
Hamzat’s contribution demonstrated why governments have a decisive role in determining whether Africa’s digital ambitions translate into practical results.
He said Lagos State had laid approximately 3,000 kilometres of fibre infrastructure and planned a further $22 million investment towards developing a unified 6,000-kilometre network connected to international submarine cables.
The shared infrastructure approach is significant because fragmented fibre deployment can increase costs, disrupt roads and discourage investment. Coordinated infrastructure planning can reduce duplication and improve the economics of connectivity.
Hamzat also disclosed that more than seven million residents had been enrolled in Lagos State’s resident identity system, while technology was being deployed to support traffic monitoring and public safety.
On public administration, he said an electronic physical planning permit system introduced in April had reduced the number of processing steps from 29 to seven without increasing statutory fees.
Such reforms demonstrate the practical value of digital government when technology reduces administrative burdens, improves transparency and makes public services more predictable.
However, these achievements must be evaluated against measurable outcomes, including processing times, service reliability, user satisfaction and the accessibility of digital services to people with limited internet access or digital skills.
Hamzat also disclosed that the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council had supported 18 researchers and more than 75 start-ups, while the state had committed approximately N2 billion to an innovation funding pool.
His proposed innovation legislation, intended to make funding for research, development and risk capital more predictable, highlights the importance of policies that survive changes in political leadership.
His observation that “an enabling state is measured not by what it launches but by what it keeps running” should resonate beyond Lagos.
Across Africa, technology projects frequently attract attention during their launch but subsequently struggle with maintenance, financing, institutional ownership and integration into existing systems. Sustainable digital government requires long-term funding, skilled personnel, cybersecurity safeguards and clear accountability.
Digital Public Infrastructure Requires Ownership and Trust
Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, reinforced this argument by focusing on the institutional foundations of digital transformation.
He said Enugu State had introduced a digital land administration system designed to reduce delays, conflicting property records and opportunities for unofficial payments.
The state, he explained, had established a statutory framework for its geographic information system and set a target of processing land documents within 72 hours.
Onyia also disclosed that more than 15,000 civil servants had been trained to support the reforms, alongside the integration of relevant agencies and adoption of cashless payments.
These measures illustrate an essential principle: technology produces meaningful results when institutions change their processes and develop the capacity to use it effectively.
His warning about public ownership of government records and data is equally important. Governments that depend entirely on proprietary systems without adequate contractual safeguards, data portability and technical capacity risk losing control over essential public assets.
Digital transformation must therefore incorporate data governance, privacy, cybersecurity, interoperability and continuity planning from the beginning.
Trust is particularly important in digital finance, where consumers must feel confident that transactions are secure and personal information is protected.
This explains the relevance of TeXcellence’s discussions on identity, fraud prevention and the systems underpinning digital financial services. The expansion of digital transactions will remain constrained if consumers cannot trust the institutions and platforms handling their money and information.
Artificial Intelligence: From Experimentation to Productivity
Another critical issue at TeXcellence 5.0 was the transition from artificial intelligence experimentation to actual business deployment.
The conference indicated that around 40 per cent of African corporations were experimenting with generative AI. This figure points to growing corporate interest in the technology.
However, experimentation should not be confused with transformation.
Businesses must establish where AI can improve productivity, reduce costs, strengthen customer service and support better decisions. They must also address data quality, workforce readiness, cybersecurity, privacy and the risks associated with inaccurate or misleading outputs.
The session on enterprise AI, featuring practitioners including Dotun Adeoye and Mosope Okanlawon, was therefore important because it focused attention on what was actually working in African organisations rather than on technological hype.
For Africa, the strategic objective should be to deploy AI in ways that address local needs, including healthcare delivery, agricultural productivity, financial inclusion, education and public administration.
Achieving this requires investment in computing infrastructure, relevant datasets, research capabilities and skilled personnel.
It also demands realistic evaluation. Companies should measure AI projects against defined business outcomes rather than assume that adopting new technology automatically improves performance.
Building African Intellectual Property and Creative Wealth
The conference’s attention to the creative economy addressed another dimension of digital ownership.
African music, film, literature and storytelling increasingly reach international audiences. Yet global visibility does not necessarily translate into proportionate economic returns for African creators.
The panel on the business of African creativity examined how creative professionals could build globally valuable intellectual property while retaining ownership of the rights and platforms through which their work generates revenue.
This is an important economic question. Intellectual property can generate licensing income, create employment, support exports and establish enduring commercial assets.
However, creators need effective copyright enforcement, transparent contracts, accessible financing and digital distribution systems that allow them to benefit from the value they create.
TeXcellence’s inclusion of filmmakers Laju Iren and Kenneth Gyang, alongside other creative industry voices, broadened the digital economy discussion beyond conventional technology businesses.
It reinforced the point that Africa’s digital future will depend not only on the infrastructure it builds but also on the knowledge, culture and creative assets it can protect and commercialise.
Skills Development Must Lead to Employment
CWG Group Chief Operating Officer, Afolabi Sobande, highlighted the importance of preparing the next generation of technology professionals through practical training and innovation.
He identified CWG Academy as part of the company’s effort to bridge skills gaps through hands-on learning and real-world applications.
He also cited Fifthlab, CWG’s fintech subsidiary, and its Kuleanpay payment solution as examples of the company’s wider innovation activities.
Such initiatives are important because Africa’s demographic advantage will become an economic asset only if young people acquire skills that employers need and can access opportunities to apply them.
The continent’s growing population presents enormous potential, but it also creates pressure to expand productive employment.
Technology education must therefore be connected to industry requirements, entrepreneurship and actual job creation. Training programmes should be evaluated not merely by the number of participants enrolled or certificates awarded, but by employment outcomes, business creation and the ability of graduates to develop commercially relevant solutions.
TeXcellence Must Become a Platform for Accountability
Since its inaugural edition in 2022, TeXcellence has developed into a forum for discussions on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation and economic resilience. TSo far, the conference has attracted more than 3,000 participants, while its speakers have included professionals from different countries.
Its fifth edition appropriately shifted the emphasis towards execution, bringing together government, enterprise, finance, technology and creative industry representatives.
That cross-sector approach is essential because digital transformation does not respect traditional institutional boundaries. A successful digital financial system, for instance, depends on telecommunications infrastructure, reliable identity verification, cybersecurity, regulation and consumer confidence.
Similarly, digital government requires coordinated databases, trained personnel, reliable networks and institutions willing to change established practices.
However, the conference’s long-term credibility will depend on what follows the discussions.
Its organisers and participants should establish measurable commitments, identify responsible institutions and review progress at subsequent editions. Governments should report on promised infrastructure and reforms, companies should demonstrate successful technology deployments, and training initiatives should disclose employment outcomes.
Africa has demonstrated that it can innovate. The next task is to ensure that innovation produces scalable businesses, reliable public services, competitive industries and meaningful employment.
Ultimately, the importance of TeXcellence lies in its capacity to connect ambition with implementation. By bringing together those who develop technology, finance it, regulate it and use it, the conference can help bridge the gap between promising ideas and measurable economic outcomes.
The question confronting Africa is no longer whether it can participate in the digital economy. It is whether the continent can build enough of the infrastructure, skills, institutions and intellectual property required to shape that economy on its own terms.
The answer will depend on sustained investment, effective governance, private-sector innovation and collaboration across national borders.
Africa’s digital future will not be secured by conferences alone. It will be secured when the ideas discussed at platforms such as TeXcellence translate into products that work, businesses that grow, institutions that deliver and opportunities that reach ordinary people.
That is the real test of accelerating Africa’s digital future: not the speed at which the continent adopts technology, but the value it creates, the assets it owns and the number of lives its innovations improve.
