KEY POINTS
• A News Agency of Nigeria report examines how China has integrated AI, robotics and digital infrastructure across major sectors.
• The report by Mark Longyen identifies manufacturing, agriculture, transport, healthcare, education and commerce as areas where African countries could adapt relevant technologies.
• It notes that infrastructure, skills, local productive capacity and responsible technology governance will determine how useful such lessons become for Africa.
MAIN STORY
A report by Mark Longyen of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has examined how China’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, robotics and digital technologies could provide lessons for African countries seeking to strengthen productive capacity and modernise key sectors.
The report, published against the backdrop of growing China Africa technology cooperation, found that technologies that were once associated largely with science fiction are increasingly being used in everyday activities in China, including transport, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education and commerce.
According to the report, China’s artificial intelligence industry exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan, about $179 billion, in 2025, representing 40 per cent year on year growth. More than 6,600 AI companies were operating in the country by June 2026, accounting for about 15 per cent of the global total.
It said China’s approach has involved integrating AI with robotics, 5G, cloud computing, big data and advanced manufacturing rather than developing the technologies in isolation.
The report linked the development to Beijing’s “AI Plus” initiative, which seeks to expand the use of artificial intelligence across economic and social sectors, including traditional industries.
It also connected China’s technological development with its growing cooperation with African countries. It recalled President Xi Jinping’s call at the 2024 Forum on China Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit for greater technology cooperation with Africa, including a digital technology cooperation centre and 20 digital demonstration projects.
The report said the significance for Africa goes beyond importing Chinese technologies, noting that the greater challenge is how such technologies can contribute to domestic productive capacity.
It identified Nigeria as an example of the infrastructure challenge facing African economies, pointing to electricity, broadband, transport, healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing as important foundations for technology driven productivity.
The report cited Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, who described Nigeria’s connectivity challenges as “structural” and linked them to years of under investment and infrastructure constraints. It said Project BRIDGE is intended to provide nationwide open access fibre infrastructure over the next two to five years.
In manufacturing, the report observed that Chinese factories increasingly use AI to monitor equipment, identify defects, analyse production data and optimise processes, while robots handle repetitive, hazardous and precision intensive tasks.
It said China had 4.838 million 5G base stations and 1.204 billion 5G subscriptions by the end of 2025, providing part of the digital infrastructure supporting these applications.
The report also examined transport, highlighting the use of batteries, sensors, telecommunications, software and AI in Chinese transport systems. It cited Yadea’s electric two wheeler business as an example of how batteries, electric motors and intelligent controls are being combined to support mobility.
Agriculture was identified as another area with potential relevance to Africa. According to the report, Chinese farmers increasingly use drones, sensors, satellite imagery and AI to monitor crops, manage irrigation, identify pests and optimise agricultural inputs.
It also highlighted applications in traditional industries, citing Hengshun in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, where traditional vinegar production is combined with biotechnology, automation, digital monitoring and modern quality control.
The report said similar applications could support African food processing, textile, leather, fisheries and agricultural industries by improving quality, reducing waste, strengthening traceability and increasing value addition.
In healthcare and education, the report examined the potential of AI assisted medical imaging, electronic records, telemedicine and connected health systems, as well as AI powered learning platforms that can personalise exercises and help teachers identify areas where students require additional support.
It noted, however, that greater automation could reduce demand for some repetitive jobs while increasing demand for engineers, technicians, software developers, data specialists and digital entrepreneurs.
The report therefore argued that African education systems would need to prepare people not only to use technology but also to design, maintain and improve it.
Digital commerce was another area examined. The report said China’s online retail sales reached 15.97 trillion yuan, about $2.38 trillion, in 2025, connecting producers, merchants, logistics operators and consumers through digital platforms. It said similar systems could help African businesses reach customers across cities and national borders, with potential relevance to the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Beyond commercial applications, the report examined the use of technology in water management and environmental conservation. It cited a project in Yancheng where desalination is combined with renewable energy, storage and intelligent controls, as well as conservation projects using drones, cameras, biodiversity monitoring stations and centralised data systems.
The report said China’s experience also highlights the need to address concerns around privacy, employment, cybersecurity, accountability and the distribution of economic opportunities as AI and digital technologies expand.
It noted that the 2025 to 2027 Forum on China Africa Cooperation action plan places digital development alongside data security, personal privacy and responsible AI governance.
For Nigeria, the report said engagements with Chinese institutions have included discussions around digital economy investment, training, agricultural technology and connectivity for underserved communities.
It also noted that Nigeria is developing institutional responses to AI adoption, including work towards a National AI Trust, indigenous AI capacity, research funding and digital skills development.
The report cautioned that China’s technological model cannot simply be reproduced across Africa because of differences in domestic markets, manufacturing capacity, research institutions, electricity access, financing and institutional development.
It instead argued for adapting relevant technologies to African development priorities, with infrastructure, skills, local enterprises, research and technology transfer forming part of the process.
THE ISSUES
- The report places infrastructure at the centre of technology adoption. Reliable electricity, broadband, transport and industrial capacity provide the conditions required for technologies such as AI, robotics and digital commerce to deliver wider economic benefits.
- Technology adoption alone does not automatically create productive capacity. The report points to China’s integration of digital systems with manufacturing, agriculture, transport and other sectors as a feature that African economies could adapt to their own circumstances.
- The expansion of automation has implications for employment and skills. While some repetitive tasks may require fewer workers, demand could increase for engineers, technicians, software developers, data specialists and digital entrepreneurs.
- Africa’s technology partnerships will also need to address governance and local capacity. The report identifies data security, privacy, responsible AI, research, skills development and technology transfer as areas requiring attention alongside infrastructure investment.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“China and Africa account for one-third of the world population. Without our modernisation, there will be no global modernisation. On the path to modernisation, no one, and no country, should be left behind.” – Xi Jinping, Chinese President
“China’s experience offers a broader lesson: technology has greater economic impact when it is integrated with the systems that support production and public services.” – Mark Longyen, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report
“The objective for Africa should, therefore, not be to reproduce China’s technological landscape, but to adapt relevant technologies to African development priorities.” – Mark Longyen, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report
WHAT’S NEXT
The report points towards greater China Africa cooperation in infrastructure, digital skills, research, local enterprise development and technology transfer. For Nigeria, it identifies connectivity, AI capacity, agricultural technology and digital skills among the areas already attracting attention.
BOTTOM LINE
The NAN report presents China’s technological development as a case study for African countries rather than a model to be copied wholesale. Its central argument is that technology will have greater development value when African countries build the infrastructure, institutions, skills and productive capacity needed to adapt it to local priorities.
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