The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has emphasized the need for Nigeria to take control of its digital infrastructure, data, and technological future to achieve digital sovereignty.

This was stated by Malam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA, during the inauguration of a Technical Working Group (TWG) in Abuja on Monday.

Inuwa highlighted the significance of Nigeria taking ownership of its digital infrastructure to attract hyper-scale investments and establish itself as a leading technology hub in Africa.

He emphasised the necessity of accurate data and regulatory frameworks to ensure that Nigeria does not host its data outside the country.

“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,” Inuwa said.

He lamented that despite Africa comprising approximately 19% of the world’s population, the continent hosts less than 1% of global data centres.

Challenges hindering Nigeria’s digital growth 

Inuwa identified the lack of accurate data as a major obstacle to investment in Nigeria’s IT sector.

He stated that the absence of insights into the country’s existing IT capacity has discouraged potential investors.

Inuwa said to address the challenge, NITDA embarked on comprehensive research to assess Nigeria’s digital landscape.

“To address the challenge, NITDA embarked on a comprehensive research to assess Nigeria’s digital landscape. The findings highlighted the need for improved regulatory framework, clearer investment incentives and stronger public-private collaboration,” he stated.

To redefine strategies for cloud development, Inuwa noted that NITDA has engaged global consultants.

Call for collaboration 

Inuwa called on industry experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to support the initiative, stressing the importance of collective effort in positioning Nigeria as the leading 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 collective effort, Nigeria can emerge as the premier digital hub for West and Central Africa,” he added.

• Mr. Emmanuel Edet, Acting Director of the Regulation and Compliance Department at NITDA, highlighted the critical role of regulatory intervention in fostering a robust digital economy.
• Edet stated that the goal is to establish policies and legal frameworks to support cloud development and enable Nigeria to securely host and manage data locally.

According to him, capacity building is highly needed to develop the infrastructure and enable the country to fully leverage the benefits of digital technologies.

About the Technical Working Group (TWG) 

The Technical Working Group (TWG) is a specialized team established by NITDA to drive the development of a national cloud infrastructure. The group is tasked with formulating strategies that will enhance Nigeria’s data hosting capacity and attract hyper-scale investments.

• TWG will play a key role in identifying challenges in the current digital ecosystem, recommending policies, and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks to support cloud development.
• It will also work towards fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors to accelerate Nigeria’s journey towards digital sovereignty.
• Members of the TWG include representatives of Google, Amazon Web Services, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Oracle and Microsoft.

Other members include HUAWEI Cloud, Equinix, Kasi, Rack Centre, Africa Data Centres, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

Source: Nairametrics