In a major effort to secure national data, drive technological independence, and boost the digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially unveiled the regulatory instruments for the National Sovereignty Cloud Initiative (NSCI).
The NSCI is a strategic federal program coordinated by NITDA to accelerate the adoption of reliable local cloud infrastructure. The newly launched framework consists of four key pillars, including the National Computing Guideline, the National Cloud Technical Guideline, the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework, and the National Cloud Investment Strategy.
Speaking at the launch event in Abuja, NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi highlighted that the initiative establishes the regulatory certainty and technical standards required to build a trusted cloud ecosystem.
“We should position ourselves not to serve Nigeria alone, but to serve West and Central Africa,” Abdullahi stated, describing the initiative as a crucial step toward establishing Nigeria as Africa’s premier digital gateway. He also commended the NSCI Technical Working Group and called for unified action among regulatory bodies to ensure seamless implementation.
Supporting this vision, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, emphasized that keeping government data strictly within national jurisdiction protects digital borders while catalyzing local capacity, job creation, and indigenous innovation.
The initiative has drawn strong backing from key economic regulators and industry leaders.
Representing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Dr. Olayemi Cardoso, Dr. Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, Director of Payment System Supervision, praised the institutional alignment between NITDA and the apex bank, noting that NITDA’s cloud governance framework directly complements the CBN’s financial ecosystem oversight to position Nigeria as Africa’s trusted hub for digital finance.
Additionally, Galaxy Backbone Limited MD/CEO Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju noted that the launch is especially timely following the CBN’s mandate for banks and financial institutions to localize their data, projecting that the NSCI will spur investment and talent development akin to the historical deregulation of the telecommunications sector.
To drive execution, NITDA announced it will constitute the Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee (SovGov) within two weeks. Comprising representatives from government bodies, sector regulators, and private sector stakeholders, SovGov will oversee the rollout of the NSCI, with NITDA serving as its secretariat.