In a significant move to bolster Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and achieve digital sovereignty, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated the Technical Working Group (TWG) on National Cloud Infrastructure. This initiative aims to enhance local cloud capabilities and attract hyper-scale investments, positioning Nigeria as a leading technology hub in Africa.
Speaking at the inauguration, NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, emphasized that establishing a robust foundation is essential for Nigeria to control its digital future.
“Without this foundation, we cannot achieve true digital sovereignty,” Inuwa stated. “Our goal is to build an ecosystem where both local data centre providers can scale, and global hyper-scalers see Nigeria as a viable investment destination.”
The DG highlighted a major challenge: a lack of accurate data on Nigeria’s IT infrastructure. He noted that while Africa accounts for nearly 19% of the world’s population, it hosts less than 1% of global data centers. To tackle this, NITDA commissioned comprehensive research to assess the digital landscape, leading to engagements with global consultants to redefine cloud development strategies.
Barrister Emmanuel Edet, Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, underscored the necessity of regulatory intervention to secure and manage national data.
“Our objective is to establish policies and legal frameworks that support cloud development… This is crucial for the growth of our digital economy,” he said, also stressing the importance of capacity building and top-tier training.
The TWG’s mandate is to drive the attraction of hyperscale investments and enhance local capabilities by proffering measures to encourage the use of accurate data and recommending the enactment of enabling policies.
The Group’s formation demonstrated strong industry backing, with key players—including Google, AWS, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, HUAWEI Cloud, Equinix, Kasi, Rack Centre, Africa Data Centres, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission—all expressing support and readiness to contribute resources.
Inuwa concluded by urging all stakeholders to contribute their expertise, stating, “With collective effort, Nigeria can emerge as the premier digital hub for West and Central Africa.”