Nigeria has emerged as the largest investor in artificial intelligence (AI) driven surveillance technologies in Africa, accounting for over $470 million of the estimated $2.1 billion spent across the continent.
This is according to the Institute of Development Studies' March 2026 report 'Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance in 11 Countries'. The study examined surveillance deployment in 11 African countries, including Kenya, Egypt, Rwanda and South Africa.
The report found that Nigeria's investments are primarily focused on AI-enabled facial recognition systems and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technologies, positioning the country as Africa's largest buyer of smart city surveillance infrastructure.
Across the countries studied, at least 35,000 smart cameras have been deployed, with Nigeria alone having about 10,000 more cameras than any other country in the group.
Mauritius followed Nigeria by spending $456 million, while Kenya, Zambia and Uganda also made significant investments in surveillance infrastructure.
The report further revealed that much of Africa's surveillance technology is supplied by Chinese companies and funded through loans from Chinese banks. Other contributors include companies from South Korea, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Western countries.
Despite the scale of investment, the study raises concerns about effectiveness as researchers found little evidence that the expansion of digital surveillance significantly reduced crime or improved prosecution rates in the countries reviewed.
The findings also highlight regulatory gaps, noting that none of the countries studied had a comprehensive legal framework to balance surveillance activities with data protection and human rights obligations.
However, the report recommends stricter laws, judicial oversight and independent monitoring bodies to ensure accountability.
In Nigeria, reliance on AI surveillance is increasing amid persistent security challenges, including kidnappings and violent attacks. While technologies such as NIN-SIM linkage and digital tracking systems have been introduced to enhance security, officials admit that criminals continue to exploit technical loopholes to avoid detection.
