A report has revealed that AI adoption is increasing in all industries in Nigeria. Approximately 94 percent of businesses are either already using AI or have plans to implement it in cybersecurity. Additionally, 93 percent are adopting AI in IT operations, while 92 percent are utilizing it to enhance customer experience.
According to the “Equinix 2023 Global Tech Trends Survey,” which gathered responses from 2900 IT decision-makers worldwide, 93 percent of these decision-makers are actively seeking to leverage the benefits of AI. They are either already using AI or have plans to implement it across various essential functions within their organizations.
Despite its widespread adoption across industries, only 3 in 10 IT leaders surveyed in Nigeria (37 percent) believe their teams and existing IT infrastructure are fully prepared to meet the demands of artificial intelligence technology.
The report emphasizes that businesses aiming to create scalable AI solutions should ensure their IT frameworks can handle the necessary ingestion, sharing, storage, and processing of massive and diverse data sets while considering sustainability.
Apart from digital infrastructure updates, the survey highlights the importance of education and collaboration to optimize the deployment of this infrastructure. Approximately 52 percent of those expanding their IT teams seek expertise in AI and machine learning.
Regarding internet connectivity, the report reveals that 47 percent of Nigerian IT leaders interviewed found that interconnection has enhanced the flexibility of their connectivity. Other benefits of interconnection mentioned by respondents include network optimization (46 percent) and improved end-user experience (45 percent). This underscores the significant role interconnection plays in enabling digital acceleration for many businesses.
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MainOne CEO, Funke Opeke, responded to the Report’s findings by stating, “The growth of interconnection bandwidth and associated IT budgets for interconnection and carrier neutral colocation show how businesses are embracing interconnection as a critical component of their digital strategy, and how they are future-proofing their digital infrastructure to gain competitive advantage.”
The respondents, in their analysis of long-term technology strategies, identified improving customer experience, accelerating innovation, and complying with data protection regulations as top priorities during their digital expansion plans.
Among the 100 IT leaders surveyed in 2023, 37 percent are planning to expand geographically into a new region, 30 percent into a new country, and another 45 percent in a new city within an existing country. Data sovereignty laws were a significant deciding factor for these expansion plans. Notably, 79 percent of these respondents are likely to adjust their expansion plans in adherence to the data sovereignty laws in the new markets they are entering.
According to Funke, “As businesses expand their infrastructure to meet the constant growing need for digital services, data sovereignty laws play a critical part in their expansion plans. This is because businesses need to ensure that their data is stored and processed in accordance with the laws of the country in which they operate. However, strict data sovereignty laws can make it difficult for businesses to expand their infrastructure across borders.
“With MainOne, businesses can leverage a globally interconnected ecosystem to expand their reach and tap into new markets, scale their operations and lower latency for critical services and applications, adapt to changing market dynamics and comply with regulatory requirements.”