The friction is not only technical; it is human.  Reports show that seven out of ten users now actively “skip” the digital noise, signaling a plateau for traditional marketing.

Chibuike Goodnews, CEO of Dochase Adx, sees this as a fundamental infrastructure problem. While sharing his observation on the shift in market dynamics at GITEX Africa 2026 in Marrakech, Goodnews pointed out that the current Skip-Ad crisis is forcing a rethink of how brands capture attention.

“The tools used even five years ago were not built for the level of fragmentation we see today,” he remarked.

This fragmentation has ushered in an era where growth is powered by self-optimizing engines built for dynamic economies.

With digital ad spend in major markets like Nigeria expected to swallow 84% of total budgets by 2029, the margin for error in manual execution is shrinking.

“We are past the point where a human needs to manually tweak a campaign every hour to keep it relevant,” Goodnews added.

“Brands are looking for systems that take the heavy lifting out of the ad value chain, technology that removes the friction from the entire campaign lifecycle.”

The rise of Retain AI (Retain Digital)

To meet this demand for self-sustaining growth, Dochase Adx positioned Retain AI (also known as Retain Digital) as a primary revenue engine for modern brands.

It operates as a self-optimizing system that takes over the “grunt work” the moment a brand defines its product.

The platform automates the entire value chain through four key pillars:

Automated Persona Generation: Instantly identifying ideal target audiences.

Creative Automation: Tailoring ad copies and visuals without manual design.

Multi-Platform Deployment: Distributing content across diverse ecosystems.

Invisible Optimization: Learning and adjusting performance in real-time.

Solving the noise problem requires deeper engagement rather than simple automation. To combat digital fatigue, Dochase is leaning into an AdTech Mix designed to feel less like an intrusion and more like an experience.

This includes Rich Media and GameCenterClub, a rewards-based system that aims to turn a three-second impression into genuine customer loyalty.

The momentum behind these autonomous systems is real. With the consumer AI market climbing at 32.7% annually, “the focus for Dochase has shifted squarely to engineering high-precision tech. Let the software handle the execution so founders can focus on the vision,” Goodnews stated.

The mission is centered on building local capacity and reducing dependency on foreign proprietary stacks.

The government is prioritizing high-fidelity regulatory policies designed to streamline digital integration while maintaining domestic oversight of critical infrastructure. Speaking with Ericsson’s leadership at GITEX Africa, Kashifu Inuwa emphasized that the strategy is not about navigating geopolitical rivalries, but about securing long-term technological independence and localized system control.

“We are building our national software infrastructure. We are coming up with very high-standard regulatory policies that will help us build capacity for digital software integration,” he said. “For me, it is not about politics. It is not about geo-tech politics. It is not about banning China. It is about how we, as a country, have control and are able to shape our digital future.”

He stressed that Nigeria is not pursuing an exclusionary approach toward global technology partners, but rather seeking balanced collaboration that ensures value creation within the country.

“We are not saying we are banning hyperscalers from coming. We want them to come, work with local partners, create value in Africa, and let us capture that value here,” he noted.

The NITDA DG drew parallels with global regulatory trends, pointing to frameworks such as the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act, and Data Governance Act as examples of regions asserting digital sovereignty through structured policy environments.

He added that Nigeria’s approach aligns with the global shift toward treating digital infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, a move already supported by existing executive orders in the country.

“We already have an executive order that makes all digital infrastructure a national critical infrastructure,” he explained. “But building a fully sovereign digital system takes time. Even the EU did not achieve it overnight.”

A key priority of the policy direction, he said, is ensuring that data generated within Nigeria remains protected and that intellectual capacity and digital intelligence are developed locally rather than exported.

“We want to keep the intelligence in our country. We want to be part of creating value, not just receiving technology,” he said.

He also highlighted concerns about historical imbalances in global industrial development, noting that Africa has often contributed raw materials, labour, and data without fully benefiting from value-added industries.

“We don’t want a repeat of previous industrial revolutions where Africa was left behind. This time, it is about value creation and building our own digital offerings,” he added.

Discussions are also ongoing around data ownership frameworks, particularly in emerging technologies and industrial systems, where questions of who controls machine-generated data remain central to future regulation.

The government is expected to unveil clearer policy direction in the coming months as part of its broader national digital transformation agenda.

On the industry side, Ericsson reaffirmed its long standing involvement in Nigeria’s telecom sector. Amos Haddebe, the company’s director for Government and Policy Advocacy in Africa, said Ericsson has operated in Nigeria for over five decades, supporting the country’s telecommunications evolution from 2G to 5G.

He noted that Ericsson continues to collaborate closely with operators such as MTN Group, as part of its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

Haddebe outlined four key pillars of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Nigerian government in October 2024, including the establishment of a joint innovation hub, a national hackathon, digital skills development programmes, and exchange of best practices.

He further revealed that the ongoing national hackathon, launched under the supervision of the Vice President, is already underway and will be integrated with broader innovation initiatives.

On broader industry concerns, Haddebe warned of rising competition in Africa’s telecoms space and urged governments to treat ICT infrastructure as a matter of national security. He advocated for a diversified vendor ecosystem to ensure resilience and safeguard critical systems.

The discussions highlight Nigeria’s increasing focus on digital sovereignty, strategic partnerships, and the development of a secure and competitive digital economy.

The Nigeria’s Chief Technology Officer, speaking at GITEX Africa in Morocco, urged industry leaders across the continent to integrate AI into their business, organisational, and operational models to unlock new opportunities, redefine leadership, and drive smarter decision-making toward making Africa deeply rooted in AI-driven innovation.

Inuwa made this call when he spoke on “Harnessing AI for Strategic Leadership” during a panel session at the Main State of the GITEX Africa 2025 held in Marrakech, Morocco.

The aim of the panel session was essentially to explore how data-driven and intelligence-led strategies can transform business models, optimise resources, and unlock new opportunities through AI-powered processes across various nations.

Speaking to an international audience of policymakers, technologists, and investors, the DG positioned Africa, particularly Nigeria as a rising force in the global AI landscape, championing a people-first and strategy-led approach to AI development and governance.

The DG argued that to be effective in today’s dynamic environment, leaders must evolve into AI-driven leaders and leverage technology not just as a tool, but as a partner in decision-making.

“AI is shifting the skills we value today, as well as the processes we use to do our daily work, so to drive strategic leadership, you need to be an AI-driven leader and find a way to use AI as a tool to create co-intelligence whereby you bring people and computers to work together to deliver your strategic vision as a leader,” he noted.

While urging leaders to combine AI with the unique strengths of their teams to deliver real business value, Inuwa stated that “Strategy must always come first, and technology second.”

He outlined four principles for effectively utilising generative AI which are inviting AI to the tale, maintaining human oversight, designing models with guardrails, and adopting a mindset of continuous improvement.

Inuwa explained that AI is invited to the table by giving it a role in organisational tasks, maintaining human oversight to correct bias and misjudgment, designing guardrails to ensure privacy ethics, and inclusivity, and adopting a mindset of continuous improvement by treating today’s AI as the least capable version that can be used.

He however warned against the risks of deploying AI systems built on data that fails to represent the diverse realities of global societies. Stressing the need for digital visibility of all cultures and citizens, he cautioned that if data doesn’t see a community, the system won’t see it either.

Introducing NITDA’s approach to governance in regulating AI through the Regulatory Intelligence Framework that is anchored on the 3 pillars of Awareness, Intelligence and Dynamism.

“In our approach to regulating AI in governance, we have a framework we call Regulatory Intelligence Framework, which as a regulator we need to be aware of the environment, we need to be dynamic because things change, and we also need to be intelligent. We need to know the data and make sense out of it,” he disclosed.

“Then we have 2 approaches, the first one is a rule-based where you can come up with certain guidelines and expect people to comply with them and we have a non-rule based, which allows them to build use cases, and based on those use cases, put the guard rails and agree on the best practices, which is always the best when it comes to AI governance,” he added.

Envisioning Africa’s AI future in the next 5 years, Inuwa painted a visionary picture where the continent will integrate AI into solving real-world challenges in every economic sector thereby leapfrogging development gaps.

Inuwa firmly averred that by augmenting human capability with AI, the continent can unlock unprecedented levels of innovation, efficiency, and inclusive growth.

“We missed the first, second, and third industrial revolutions, but this fourth one, we must lead it and not just follow.” He concluded.

Other industry leaders who shared their experiences and insightful ideas at the panel session were the Special Envoy on Technology, Republic of Kenya, Philip Thigo, CEO Pesalink, Gituku Kirika, and the Head of Africa, Open AI, Emmanuel Lubanzadio.

Nearpays was awarded a cash prize of 10,000 US Dollars and free all-expenses trip to GITEX Global to be hosted by the Dubai World Trade Center in the United Arab Emirates, in October, 2023.

Nearpays is a full-service financial payment platform that acts as an end-to-end financial service for clients.

It has various features to simplify online payments as much as possible, based on the principle that payments should be seamless.

It also offers a wide range of services including personal and corporate banking, virtual debit cards, and online banking.

The platform, founded by Victor Daniyan, uses blockchain technology to create a decentralised payment and makes the network more secure and efficient than traditional payment systems.

As a fintech payment company that seeks to promote financial inclusion by making card transactions more accessible and convenient through the use of NFC and scan-to-pay technology.

Nearpays is currently making inroads into the Nigerian market aims to expand into other African markets and has plans to launch its services in Europe and the United States in the near future.

Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), commended Nearpays for, yet again, putting Nigeria’s name on the global stage, adding that the victory was a “proud moment for Nigeria and that it was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the company’s founders and team”.

Inuwa also said that the Nigerian government is committed to creating a favorable environment for startups and that it would continue to support the sector.

“The government is committed to creating a conducive environment for the growth of the startup ecosystem. We will continue to provide support to startups through enabling policies, programs, and initiatives”, he added.

He further said that the Nigerian government has made a number of policies in recent years, particularly the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) that provides a favorable environment for digital innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive. In addition, the Nigerian government equally enacted the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA) to provide an enabling environment for the establishment, development and operation of startups in Nigeria.

“The government’s policies have helped to attract investments in the Nigerian digital economy sector and have led to the growth of a number of thriving startups, such as Nearpays. The government’s continued support for the sector is helping Nigeria to become a leading hub for talent and innovation in the world.”

“The success of Nearpays is a testament to the potential of the Nigerian startup ecosystem. The country has a large and growing population of young and tech-savvy entrepreneurs. With the support of the government, these entrepreneurs are poised to make a significant impact on the global economy,” he added.

Victor Daniyan, the CEO and Co-founder of Nearspays, while appreciating the honour, said that the award is a “significant milestone” for the company and that it would “help us to further accelerate our growth and expansion plans.”

He also said that it was “an honour to represent Nigeria at the global stage” and that they are “committed to using technology to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing Africa.”

Nearpays’s victory at GITEX Africa Morocco is a sign of many things to come for the Nigerian startup ecosystem, especially now that the Nigeria Startup Act is in the implementation stage. The country has a large and growing population of young and tech-savvy entrepreneurs. With the support of the government, these entrepreneurs are poised to make a significant impact on the global economy.

Sixty-seven (67) Nigerian startups participated at inaugural edition of GITEX Africa, which reaffirmed the country’s burgeoning tech ecosystem, and provided a platform for them to exhibit their cutting-edge ideas, gain invaluable exposure from the global tech community, and attract potential investments that will catalyze Nigeria’s digital economy.

As Nigerian startups continue to shine on the global stage, they are reshaping the narrative around Africa’s tech potential. With their innovative ideas, entrepreneurial drive, and the support of the government and international investors, Nigerian startups are poised to drive a transformative change, positioning the country at the forefront of technological innovation in Africa and beyond.

GITEX Africa maiden edition of technology exhibitions in the region, brings together industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to discuss and showcase advancements in technology.

The event provides an ideal platform for organisations to promote dialogue, showcase innovative solutions, and forge partnerships to harness the potential of the digital age.

NITDA’s participation focuses on fostering collaborations, sharing best practices, and addressing the challenges hindering Africa’s digital growth.

Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of NITDA, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, participated at the two Panel Sessions themed: “Accelerating Digital Transformation in Africa: Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities” and “Fast Tracking to an Integrated and Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure.”

In his presentations, Dr. Onumo discussed the role of technology in driving economic growth, job creation, and digital economy development on the continent.

He highlighted the need for African countries to invest in digital infrastructure, skills development, and policy reforms in order to reap the full benefits of digital transformation.

Onumo also stressed the importance of collaboration between governments, academia, industry, venture capitalist, and the tech community in order to accelerate digital transformation in Africa.

He called on African countries to work together to develop common standards and regulations for the digital economy, and to promote the adoption of digital technologies across all sectors of the economy. 

He further alluded to the progress made through African Free Trade Agreement and African Smart Alliance and called for a sustained effort towards a common digital identity for Africa.

He also highlighted the challenges that Africa faces in terms of digital transformation, noting that one of the biggest challenges are the lack of adequate infrastructure, digital skills as well as digital inclusion, and pointed out that there is a need for more investments in human capital development.

Despite these challenges, Onumo said that Africa as a continent has the potential to become a major player in the global digital economy. He called on all stakeholders to work together to overcome the challenges and to seize the opportunities that digital transformation presents.

He shared NITDA’s insights and expertise on digital transformation, especially the development of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), and NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024).

He stated that,

“Technology is a key driver of economic growth and job creation in Africa. We need to invest in digital infrastructure and develop our own digital strategies in order to fully reap the benefits of the digital revolution.”

“Public-private partnerships are essential for driving digital transformation in Africa. We need to work together to create a more inclusive and sustainable digital future for the continent,” he added.

He reiterated that NITDA is committed to supporting the digital transformation of Nigeria and Africa, adding that, the agency is working with governments, private sector, and the tech community to develop and implement policies, programmes, and initiatives that will accelerate digital transformation on the continent. 

“An example of such collaboration is in the development of the Nigeria Startup Act which the ecosystem regards as the game changer that will further catalyse the industry and make Nigeria a global startup destination”, he further stated

The panel sessions were made up of experts  and representatives from governments, businesses, and the tech community from across Africa. The discussions were lively and productive, and there was a clear consensus among the participants that digital transformation is essential for Africa’s economic development.