Policymakers, investors, and technology leaders will converge on Lagos in September for the third edition of the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa (HCA) 2026, a summit aimed at closing the continent’s widening digital infrastructure gap. Organised by The Africa Hyperscalers Company under the theme “Africa’s Great Digital Buildout,” the gathering arrives as surging demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, Fintech, and digital government services strains existing data centre capacity, fibre networks, and electricity supply across the region.
Africa remains one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets, yet limited infrastructure continues to slow cloud adoption and inflate the cost of digital services. Nigeria alone is targeting a $1.9 billion data centre investment boom to address the risk of keeping 90 percent of its data offshore. Speaking ahead of the event, Temitope Osunrinde, executive director of Africa Hyperscalers, said the continent’s digital future hinges on infrastructure decisions being made today. He noted that HCA 2026 will move discussions beyond ambition to practical solutions for financing and building Africa’s digital backbone, tackling difficult questions around regulation, connectivity, data sovereignty, and capital investment.
The conference agenda covers digital infrastructure financing, AI readiness, cloud adoption, regional integration, and connectivity resilience. Confirmed speakers include Amine Idriss Adoum of the African Union Development Agency, Ayotunde Coker of Open Access Data Centres, Nonye Ujam of Microsoft, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi of the National Information Technology Development Agency, and Begna Gebreyes of the Africa Finance Corporation. Other participants include representatives from GSMA, OPay, Vertiv, the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, and the Technology Service Providers Association of Kenya.
The summit will also honour pioneers who have shaped the continent’s digital trajectory, including MainOne founder Funke Opeke, Econet Group founder Strive Masiyiwa, Convergence Partners founder Andile Ngcaba, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
As governments compete to attract hyperscale cloud providers and AI investment, experts argue that Africa’s ability to finance data centres, stabilise power supply, and expand high-speed connectivity will determine whether the continent emerges as a global AI hub or remains largely a consumer of digital technologies built elsewhere.
