Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s largest spender on artificial intelligence-powered surveillance technologies, accounting for more than $470 million of the at least $2.1 billion spent by 11 countries across the continent, a new report has shown.
The report, titled “Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance Across 11 Countries” and published by the Institute of Development Studies in March 2026, examined deployments across countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Rwanda.
According to the study, Nigeria’s spending is largely concentrated on AI-enabled facial recognition systems and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technologies.
“Nigeria alone has spent over $470 million on AI-enabled facial recognition and automatic car number plate recognition (ANPR), making it Africa’s largest buyer of smart city surveillance technologies,” the report stated.
The researchers noted that total spending across Africa is likely higher than the reported $2.1 billion due to limited public disclosures and the often confidential nature of surveillance investments.
The report also found that much of the surveillance infrastructure deployed across the countries was supplied by Chinese technology firms, often financed through soft loans from Chinese banks. Other suppliers included companies from South Korea, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Israel, France, Spain, Iran, and Japan.
As of 2025, the countries studied had deployed a combined total of 35,542 smart cameras, excluding Zimbabwe, where figures were not available. Nigeria accounted for approximately 10,000 of these devices.
Despite the scale of investment, the report found limited evidence that expanded surveillance has led to a reduction in crime.
“There is little evidence that the expansion of digital surveillance reduces overall crime,” the report stated, noting that court records did not show significant prosecutions based on surveillance footage or measurable declines in serious crimes.
The study also highlighted the absence of robust legal frameworks governing surveillance in the countries examined. It recommended the introduction of dedicated laws, judicial oversight through warrant requirements, and independent regulatory bodies to ensure accountability and protect citizens’ rights.
