Itana Launches Africa’s First Full-Stack AI and Data Growth Zone

Itana,  Africa’s first Digital Special Economic Zone, has announced it is launching Africa’s first full-stack growth zone for AI and data companies. As the world races to embrace the transformative potential of AI, Africa is at risk of being left behind – not due to a lack of talent or demand, but because of limited infrastructure.

While other global markets invest billions into infrastructure such as computing capacity, sovereign data storage, and cloud infrastructure, Africa remains constrained. Training a large language model (LLM) in Nigeria still means paying for GPUs hosted abroad, and storing sensitive data locally is often prohibitively expensive.

Itana’s full-stack growth zone for AI and data companies is designed to empower local founders, engineers, and researchers to build and scale transformative technologies – right here on the continent. The zone will provide local access to scalable GPUs, compliant data storage, MLOps talent, and regulatory support, enabling AI and data ventures to operate without friction.

Itana’s full-stack growth zone for AI and data companies will feature:

• Affordable GPU Compute: Local and regional GPU clusters for LLM training, fine-tuning, and deployment.
• Data Infrastructure: Compliant, low-latency data storage aligned with local regulations.
• Talent Pipeline: Access to vetted MLOps engineers, AI developers, and data scientists.
• Regulatory Navigation: Support for data/IP governance, licensing, and compliance.
• Capital & Acceleration: Credits, startup grants, and access to aligned investors.

“Africa will not win in the AI age by consuming what the rest of the world builds. We’ll win by creating the infrastructure that allows our people to build for themselves. What Itana is doing with this AI/Data Hub is laying the foundation for a sovereign, globally competitive tech future. This is how we take our place at the frontier.”

–Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, General Partner, Future Africa.

“Africa is at a critical juncture when it comes to AI. Africa has many of the problems AI was made to solve, such as inefficient logistics and fragmented public services, but lacks the infrastructure needed to harness the potential of AI. Itana’s vision is to fix that gap and provide a home for the builders of Africa’s AI future. Our mission is crucial – Africa must act now to provide its builders with access to AI infrastructure or risk being permanently dependent on foreign platforms and providers.”

–Mayowa Olugbile, CEO, Itana.