Beyond Real Estate: A Strategic AI Ecosystem
More than a real estate development, Itana’s zone has been described as a “zone within a zone”—a purpose-built ecosystem embedded within a special economic zone that caters specifically to the entire AI value chain. From foundational model developers to AI-powered application companies, the enclave is designed to host, support, and scale AI ventures across the continent and beyond.
The idea is to house everything in one place: computational infrastructure, data centers, top-tier talent, and policy flexibility—a model that mirrors successful innovation hubs like Hub71 in the UAE or Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, but is tailored to the African context.
Why Africa Needs This Now
Africa is no stranger to the AI boom. Countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt account for over 80% of AI and tech startup funding on the continent. Nigeria alone is home to more than 400 active AI firms. However, despite this momentum, most AI development in Africa still relies on foreign infrastructure—from cloud computing and data storage to foundational model access.
While initiatives like Egypt’s Knowledge City and Kenya’s Konza Technopolis have made strides in building ICT-driven cities, their focus remains broad. In contrast, Itana is honing in on AI with a vertically integrated ecosystem—a move that could help Africa transition from consumer to producer of AI technologies.
“Globally, there’s a fight for certain resources—starting from infrastructure, down to talent and capital,” says Victor Famubode, Head of Advisory and Government Relations at Itana. “If Africa is going to play competitively in the AI space, then we must aggregate these resources locally.”
Building the Stack: Compute, Data, Talent
At the heart of the zone are three foundational pillars: Compute, Data, and Talent.
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Compute Power: AI development—especially training large language models (LLMs)—demands enormous computational power. Itana is partnering with GPU cloud and hardware providers to offer cloud, on-premise, and GPU-as-a-service models. “We know AI is 95% hardware,” Famubode notes. “Without reliable compute infrastructure, we cannot expect consistent innovation.”
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Data Infrastructure: Through partnerships with modular data center providers, Itana is deploying Tier 3 and potentially Tier 4 facilities, ensuring not just storage but low-latency, real-time AI applications. These centers are critical for training and deploying AI systems within Africa’s borders.
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Talent Pipeline: Recognizing that infrastructure is nothing without people to build and use it, Itana is investing in AI skill development. Collaborating with local and global partners, it aims to equip talent with cutting-edge skills, bridging the gap between innovation and implementation.
A Place for OpenAI—and Open Africa
The zone aims to be inclusive of both upstream AI companies—those building foundational models—and downstream firms applying AI in sectors like healthcare, finance, agriculture, and education.
While global models like OpenAI’s GPT have dominated the market, Itana sees promise in small language models—compact, efficient systems trained on localized datasets. These models are more affordable, contextually relevant, and easier to run on limited infrastructure, making them ideal for African realities.
“Smaller models are ideal for resource-constrained environments like ours,” Famubode says. “But we’re not excluding the bigger players. We’re building space for both.”
Global Interest, Local Impact
Itana’s AI growth zone is already attracting serious attention. Over 70% of companies registered in Itana’s Special Digital Economic Zone are foreign or diaspora-owned, with more than 30 AI-focused companies currently in the pipeline. Notably, just 5% are based in Nigeria, while 20% are from other African countries—highlighting the zone’s cross-border appeal.
Businesses can register for just $2,000, with an annual renewal of $1,150, and can operate fully remotely. The flexibility makes Itana particularly attractive for distributed AI teams and startups looking to scale without relocating.
“We want green unicorns—AI companies founded here, scaling from here, and solving real African problems while being globally competitive,” Famubode explains.
Physical Location Still Matters
Despite its remote-friendly design, infrastructure on the ground remains vital. Located within Alaro City, Itana benefits from access to stable power, broadband internet, water, and other utilities essential for running cooling-intensive data centers and compute clusters.
The project is operational, not hypothetical. “This is not a soft-launch experiment,” Famubode insists. “We’ve already begun operations. The AI growth zone is a continuum—we’re iterating with real demand and real companies.”
Shaping the Future of African AI
As global powers race to dominate the AI frontier, Africa faces a crucial decision: remain a passive consumer of imported technologies or take the reins in building systems informed by local data, culture, and needs.
Itana’s AI and data growth zone presents a compelling solution—a localized, full-stack ecosystem that enables African innovation at global scale.
Beyond the tech, the zone promises job creation, investment opportunities, and homegrown solutions that could ripple across industries and borders.
“We’re doing this not just to attract companies,” Famubode concludes, “but to ensure Africa remains nationally and continentally competitive. We want the continent to be an active participant in shaping the global AI narrative.”
With infrastructure in motion, companies signing up, and ambition set high, Itana may just be laying the digital foundation for Africa’s AI sovereignty.