The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has stressed the need for Nigeria to take full control of its digital infrastructure, data, and technological future to achieve digital sovereignty.
Speaking at the inauguration of a Technical Working Group (TWG) in Abuja on Monday, NITDA Director-General, Malam Kashifu Inuwa, highlighted the importance of local data hosting, regulatory frameworks, and strategic investments to position Nigeria as Africa’s leading technology hub.
Inuwa underscored the critical need for Nigeria to own and manage its digital infrastructure to attract large-scale investments from global technology firms. He pointed out that Africa, despite comprising nearly 19% of the world’s population, hosts less than 1% of global data centers, a gap that limits the continent’s digital growth.
“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,” he stated.
One of the major challenges hindering investment in Nigeria’s IT sector, according to Inuwa, is the lack of accurate data. The absence of a clear picture of Nigeria’s existing IT capacity has deterred potential investors from committing resources to the country’s digital sector.
To address this, NITDA has launched extensive research to assess Nigeria’s digital landscape. The findings have pointed to the need for improved regulatory frameworks, clearer investment incentives, and stronger public-private sector collaboration to drive digital transformation.
“To bridge these gaps, we are redefining our strategies for cloud development and have engaged global consultants to support our efforts,” Inuwa noted.
Inuwa called on industry experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to actively participate in the initiative, emphasizing that collective effort is essential to positioning Nigeria as the top digital hub in West and Central Africa.
“As the TWG embarks on its mission, NITDA urges industry experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to contribute their expertise and resources to this initiative. With a unified approach, Nigeria can emerge as the premier digital hub for West and Central Africa,” he added.
Echoing this sentiment, Mr. Emmanuel Edet, Acting Director of the Regulation and Compliance Department at NITDA, highlighted the crucial role of regulatory intervention in building a resilient digital economy.
“The goal is to establish policies and legal frameworks that support cloud development and ensure that Nigeria can securely host and manage its data locally,” Edet explained.
He further emphasized that capacity building is essential for developing the infrastructure required to fully leverage digital technologies and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
The newly inaugurated Technical Working Group (TWG) has been established to spearhead the development of a national cloud infrastructure and strengthen Nigeria’s data-hosting capacity.
The TWG will focus on identifying challenges within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, recommending policy solutions, and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks to support cloud development. A key aspect of its mandate is fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors to accelerate Nigeria’s transition toward digital sovereignty.
The group includes representatives from leading global and local technology firms, such as Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS), International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Oracle, Microsoft, HUAWEI Cloud, Equinix, Kasi, Rack Centre, Africa Data Centres, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
With Nigeria making significant moves to secure its digital future, the success of this initiative will depend on strong regulatory oversight, strategic investment, and collaboration across the technology ecosystem. As NITDA and its partners push forward, the country’s ability to establish itself as a regional digital powerhouse will be closely watched by industry players and investors alike.
