Nigeria is taking a bold step toward digital sovereignty as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) inaugurates a Technical Working Group (TWG) on National Cloud Infrastructure.
The group will also be working to strengthen the country’s digital backbone, attract major tech investments, and position Nigeria as a leading technology hub in Africa.
Why This Matters
With Africa making up 19% of the world’s population but hosting less than 1% of global data centers, Nigeria faces a critical gap in digital infrastructure. NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, highlighted this challenge, stating:
“Without accurate data and strong regulatory frameworks, we cannot achieve true digital sovereignty. Our goal is to build an ecosystem where both local data center providers can scale, and global hyper-scalers see Nigeria as a viable investment destination.”
Bridging the Digital Divide
To tackle this, NITDA has:
Commissioned research to assess Nigeria’s digital landscape
Identified gaps in IT infrastructure and investment incentives
Engaged global consultants to develop cloud strategies
Assembled industry leaders to drive policy and innovation
Regulations & Capacity Building Are Key
NITDA’s Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, Barrister Emmanuel Edet, stressed the importance of policies that secure Nigeria’s data and digital economy:
“Our objective is to establish policies and legal frameworks that support cloud development, enabling us to securely host and manage our data. This is crucial for the growth of our digital economy.”
He also emphasized the need for training and expertise to fully leverage cloud technology:
“Equipping ourselves with top-tier training and expertise is essential. We must develop a framework that reflects our national interests and is widely accepted.”
Industry Leaders Join the Mission
The TWG brings together major tech players, including:
Google
AWS
IBM
Oracle
Microsoft
Huawei Cloud
Equinix
Rack Centre
Africa Data Centres
Nigeria Data Protection Commission
These companies have expressed their commitment to providing resources, expertise, and investment to help Nigeria build a resilient, scalable, and competitive digital infrastructure.
The Road Ahead
By enhancing cloud capabilities and regulatory frameworks, this initiative is set to attract hyper-scale investments, create new economic opportunities, and establish Nigeria as a digital powerhouse in West and Central Africa.
