The current trend in the world of technology is undoubtedly AI. Investors are racing to fund the next AI-powered startup, and the conversation and the buzz are around AI. While the world moves ahead to understand the potential and maximise this relatively new piece of tech, in cities like Uyo, Asaba, Enugu, and Aba, the AI revolution isn’t as loud, but it hums beneath the surface. It’s in the small businesses using ChatGPT to draft marketing copy, the students in local hubs training AI models from their laptops, and the startups experimenting with automation to cut costs. Away from the spotlight of major cities, a more organic kind of innovation is taking shape, one born of necessity, creativity, and grit.
But with this innovation comes the question: how ready are these cities for the AI age? Can these cities, often overlooked in national tech conversations, truly participate in the global AI race? What will it take to move from adoption to creation, from users to builders of intelligent systems?
A New Kind of Awakening
According to a January 2025 survey by Ipsos in collaboration with Google, about 70% of Nigeria’s online population has used generative AI, far surpassing the global average of 48%. On the surface, that suggests a country primed for AI.
When OpenAI’s ChatGPT went viral in late 2022, it didn’t take long for the ripple effects to reach Nigeria’s smaller cities. In Asaba, digital marketers began using the chatbot to improve client pitches. In Aba, fashion entrepreneurs discovered it could help them write Instagram captions and create virtual design mockups. In Uyo and Enugu, university students began hosting “prompt engineering” hangouts at co-working spaces, sharing discoveries about how to make AI tools work for local needs.
“It’s the first time we’ve seen a global tech wave reach here this fast,” said Iniobong Ekong, a product designer and AI enthusiast based in Uyo. “Usually, new technologies take years to filter down to our region. But AI felt instant; it came through social media, YouTube tutorials, and even church WhatsApp groups.”
That speed of diffusion is remarkable, and it speaks to the democratizing nature of AI tools. Unlike heavy tech infrastructure projects, AI doesn’t require fibre cables or data centres to start with. It requires curiosity, connectivity, and creativity, three things the South-South and South-East have in abundance.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)’s own data, broadband penetration stood at about *41.56% in September 2024, heading into the 2025 target of 70%.
And when you drill down regionally, the South-East and South-South face distinct structural barriers. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), as of Q3 2023, the South-East recorded the lowest active internet subscriptions (15.97 million) among Nigeria’s zones, while the South-South had about 20.00 million.
These numbers suggest a country in transition. Nigeria may have a high headline rate of online AI engagement, yet many of its secondary cities still lack the infrastructure, policy support and ecosystem maturity to fully participate in the AI economy.
The Adoption Gap Isn’t a Skill Gap
There’s a misconception that secondary cities lag because people there lack the skills or capacity to build. But the truth is often more complex.
In Enugu, a small community of software engineers has been quietly experimenting with open-source AI projects. In Aba, some hardware tinkerers are exploring how computer vision could support local manufacturing. In Calabar, university students have begun building simple chatbots in local languages to support small-scale e-commerce.
The talent exists; what’s missing is structure. As Aniedi Udo-Obong of Google noted during the planning of Akwa Ibom Tech Week 2025, “There’s no shortage of brilliance in this region. What we need is coherence, an ecosystem where developers, educators, and policymakers can speak the same language.”
AI adoption isn’t being held back by disinterest. It’s being slowed by poor internet penetration, lack of funding for research, and the absence of organised data communities. Still, what’s emerging is an organic form of innovation that feels distinctly regional, slow, steady, and deeply practical.
AI in the Everyday
One of the most fascinating things about AI adoption in these cities is how it’s being used beyond the tech bubble.
In Uyo, secondary school teachers are using AI tools to generate lesson plans and visual aids. In Aba, a group of tailors have started using Canva’s AI image generator to visualise new fabric patterns. In Asaba, young content creators use ChatGPT to write voiceover scripts for YouTube channels on local politics and pop culture.
This everyday integration signals a powerful shift, which is that AI isn’t just for coders. It’s for problem-solvers. It’s for the hairdresser figuring out pricing strategies, the food vendor drafting a business proposal, the student preparing a scholarship essay. It’s in these quiet, utilitarian moments that the real transformation is happening.
“I don’t even think of it as AI anymore,” said Gloria Nnamdi, a content creator in Asaba. “It’s just a tool that helps me do more in less time.”
Bridging the Infrastructure Divide
Of course, enthusiasm can only go so far without infrastructure. Internet reliability across the South-South and South-East remains a major hurdle, as does access to stable electricity, two pillars any digital ecosystem depends.
Tech hubs like Roothub (Uyo) and Innovation Growth Hub (Aba) have tried to bridge the gap, offering training programs and co-working spaces powered by alternative energy. But scaling that support requires policy intervention and intentional investment.
There are signs of movement. Akwa Ibom State’s Ministry of Science and Technology recently hinted at plans to establish an innovation district in Uyo, aimed at supporting AI and software talent. Enugu and Delta States have also been exploring partnerships with local universities to embed digital literacy and AI courses into their curricula.
Still, most of the funding and investor attention remains concentrated in Lagos. To unlock real regional growth, policymakers need to see beyond the “centre of excellence” and start investing in the centres of potential.
From Users to Builders
Right now, much of the region’s AI engagement is consumption-driven using tools made elsewhere. But a quiet shift is happening.
A team of students at the University of Uyo is building a chatbot that helps farmers track weather and crop data in local dialects. In Aba, a startup called Fixit AI is developing a voice interface for artisans to record customer orders hands-free. And in Enugu, a small team is experimenting with a Yoruba–Igbo–Pidgin translation model for creative writing.
These projects may seem small, but they reflect a crucial transition, from passive adoption to active participation. “We have to start building for our realities,” said Ekong, the Uyo-based designer. “Our data, our languages, our problems, these are our greatest opportunities.”
Cultural Context Matters
AI is often discussed in abstract terms, models, algorithms, and data sets. But in Nigeria’s secondary cities, the conversation is deeply human.
Here, the challenge isn’t just technical capacity; it’s cultural fit. How do you train models that understand local expressions, tone, and dialect? How do you deploy AI in communities that value personal trust over digital transactions?
The region’s growing AI enthusiasts are asking these questions and trying to ensure that African cultural intelligence becomes part of the global AI conversation. “If we don’t bring our data to the table,” said a developer in Aba, “someone else will define us in theirs.”
Why Secondary Cities Should Matter to Nigeria’s AI Journey
AI has enormous potential beyond the tech hubs. When applied in regional contexts, it can address local challenges: agriculture optimisation, supply chain efficiency, micro-finance, vernacular language interfaces, and creative content production.
Some compelling arguments:
• These cities offer a lower cost of living and operating than Lagos, making experimentation more sustainable.
• Diaspora connections are strong — professionals returning home or participating remotely can anchor ecosystems.
• Local talent often stays when given the opportunity, helping avoid brain drain.
As one regional actor put it: “We already have the talent. What we need now is consistency — to keep building, keep collaborating, keep showing up.”
A Regional AI Blueprint
Looking ahead, the South-South and South-East can become Nigeria’s AI testbed by playing to their strengths, which include strong community networks, an adaptive learning culture, and a hunger for relevance.
Here’s what the next decade could look like:
- AI in local education — integrating tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity into school systems to boost digital literacy.
- AI for agriculture — smart forecasting for cassava, palm, and rice farms, built in partnership with universities.
- AI-powered governance — using data analytics to improve urban planning and resource allocation in growing cities.
- AI-driven entrepreneurship — training young people not just to use tools, but to build sustainable, data-backed ventures.
Each of these is possible, but only if stakeholders stop waiting for permission. As Udo-Obong once said, “We don’t have to ask to be included in the future. We just have to start building it.”
Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is already advancing this agenda. Their Strategic Roadmap 2024–2027 includes eight pillars: digital inclusion, innovation, AI, IoT, robotics and ecosystem development.
Data backed
- PwC reports that Nigeria ranks 18th out of 54 African countries in its “AI Talent Readiness Index (2025)”, with a score of 37.7.
- According to Google (via the “Digital Opportunity of Nigeria” study), AI has the potential to add $15 billion to Nigeria’s economy by 2030.
- The same Google-led report states that in 2023, Google’s products and services contributed an estimated $1.8 billion in economic activity in Nigeria, and noted that each $1 invested in digital technology generates over $8 of economic value.
- The Oxford Insights / AI readiness reports show that Sub-Saharan Africa’s average score (≈ 32.7) is well below global norms; this underscores the infrastructure and skills gap for Nigeria and similar markets.
- Google Search trend data reveal that interest in “AI + studying” has surged — for example, “how to use AI” queries in Nigeria rose by 40 % in one year, while searches combining AI and education rose by over 200 %.
The Future Isn’t Elsewhere
AI is often framed as something that happens out there, but every chatbot trained in Enugu, every startup idea refined in Uyo, and every student project written with AI assistance proves otherwise. The future is quietly forming here, too.
For Nigeria’s secondary cities, the AI era is not about catching up; it’s about catching on. It’s about reimagining what’s possible when people who’ve long been left out of the digital narrative decide to write their own version of it.
For state governments, investors and ecosystem builders, now is the moment to act. With national policy momentum and global AI tools available, the advantage lies in being early, being intentional and being local. Support secondary cities not as afterthoughts, but as foundational nodes of a new Nigeria. The blueprint is there; it’s time to build it locally, deploy it regionally, and scale it globally.
And if the current momentum is anything to go by, the story of Africa’s AI future may very well not only be in the obvious places but also in the margins.
Read Also: https://techsudor.com/african-creatives-are-now-using-ai-to-reimagine-art-fashion-and-music/
