Security breaches remain a major constraint on business operations in Nigeria, with theft, robbery, burglary and unauthorised access reportedly costing operators trillions each year. While many businesses have invested in closed-circuit television cameras to protect assets and deter crime, evidence shows that traditional surveillance alone has not stopped security losses at facilities where cameras are deployed. Experts say preventing and mitigating breaches requires active monitoring and real-time intelligence to catch threats as they occur and trigger immediate responses.
This gap is driving demand for AI-assisted CCTV systems that can flag individuals or events against watchlists, alert staff instantly, and centralise monitoring across multiple locations from a single dashboard. Iso Bassey, founder of Sorveo, an enterprise AI video intelligence company, noted that watching cameras continuously across multiple sites is nearly impossible. AI-powered video intelligence is gaining ground in Africa, with market research firm UnivDatos projecting that the Africa AI CCTV market, valued at 190 million US dollars in 2024, will grow by about 22.75 per cent annually between 2025 and 2033.
Bassey said adoption remains low in Nigeria, with many organisations using cameras only to view live feeds or review recordings after incidents occur. Moving from passive recording to active alerts and searchable events can help businesses extract full value from their security investments. Deploying intelligent CCTV does not necessarily require replacing existing cameras; compatible systems can add intelligence to equipment already installed, potentially saving replacement and installation costs.
On concerns about AI errors, Bassey said the system delivers alerts for authorised personnel to evaluate before taking action. Human security guards remain central to physical security, with AI solutions designed to support rather than replace them. The company has designed its technology to account for Nigeria's infrastructure challenges, storing events offline so monitoring continues if internet connectivity drops, then synchronising data when connections are restored.