Nigeria: African Cities Rank Among Global AI Adopters Despite Infrastructure Deficits - Report

What the report says

A new Boston Consulting Group report says several African cities are emerging as notable adopters of artificial intelligence even though they still face major infrastructure and funding gaps. The cities highlighted in the AllAfrica-distributed story include Lagos, Johannesburg, Casablanca and Cairo, which the report places in BCG’s “Developing” maturity tier because of weaknesses in digital infrastructure, startup financing and other enabling conditions.

The report, titled BCG’s Intelligent Cities Index 2026: How AI Shapes Urban Living, assessed 61 large cities in 39 countries across five areas: outcomes, strategy, adoption, ways of working and enablers. Global cities such as London, Dubai, New York, Washington and Amsterdam were cited among the top performers, but BCG said no single city leads in every category. Within Africa, the report found strong public enthusiasm for AI, especially in cities with younger populations; it said residents in Lagos, Cairo and Casablanca are among the most active and optimistic users globally.

BCG also pointed to Casablanca as a standout for AI adoption and smart-city app use. The report argues that cities do not need to wait for world-class infrastructure before making progress, and that targeted digital services can improve day-to-day life and broader city maturity.

The piece matters because it frames AI as a practical urban policy tool rather than only a technology-sector issue. BCG said African city leaders would need to tackle bottlenecks such as venture capital access, talent retention and AI governance if they want to move into higher maturity tiers.