The Federal Government has taken significant steps to classify and host certain categories of data within Nigeria as part of its broader strategy to enhance digital sovereignty and establish the country as Africa’s leading digital hub.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, emphasized that Nigeria is committed to allocating more resources to achieve this objective.
Speaking at the Africa Hyperscalers Digital Infrastructure Outlook 2025, Abdullahi highlighted NITDA’s efforts to build an innovative ecosystem that balances regulation and industry growth. He noted that investments in cloud infrastructure, data classification, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications will play a critical role in this transformation.
Strategic Framework for Digital Growth
According to a statement by NITDA’s Head of Corporate Communications, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, the Director-General outlined strategies aimed at leveraging innovative solutions and regulatory frameworks to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eight-point agenda. This agenda spans multiple sectors, including economic diversification, national security, food security, infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
The Africa Hyperscalers Digital Infrastructure Outlook 2025 brought together industry leaders to discuss Africa’s evolving role in the global AI-driven infrastructure landscape.
Abdullahi explained that NITDA’s regulatory approach consists of two key components:
- Rule-based regulation: Establishing strict compliance guidelines for industry players.
- Non-rule-based regulation: Encouraging industry-led innovation with well-defined benchmarks.
“Before we regulate anything, we need to be aware of the landscape, collect and analyze data, and remain dynamic because technology evolves rapidly. Our regulatory framework must be agile,” he said.
Driving Cloud Adoption and Local Data Hosting
The Cloud First Policy, introduced in 2019, remains a cornerstone of NITDA’s strategy to reduce dependence on physical data centers. The policy encourages both government agencies and private businesses to embrace cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions.
Initially, businesses were granted waivers to use public cloud infrastructure, but NITDA has now intensified efforts to boost local data center capacity. Abdullahi revealed that discussions with global tech giants have led to strategic partnerships that will enhance Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
“A major milestone in our journey has been our successful engagement with Google Cloud, which has pledged to collaborate with local data centers to drive cloud adoption and establish a hyperscaler data center in Nigeria,” Abdullahi stated.
He further noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had emphasized the role of technology in achieving his administration’s development agenda during a meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in Paris.
“The president believes technology can drive economic diversification, strengthen national security, enhance food security, and modernize infrastructure, with a particular focus on education and healthcare,” Abdullahi added.
Enhancing AI Adoption for Governance and Business
Abdullahi underscored that AI applications hold more potential for Africa than building Large Language Models (LLMs).
“The real power of AI is in its application, not in building large language models. We should focus on deploying AI in critical sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and financial services, where it can create immediate impact,” he stated.
To further drive cloud adoption and investment, NITDA is finalizing a framework that mandates data classification, ensuring that certain categories of data remain hosted within Nigeria. This move aims to attract more cloud service providers and strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty.
Africa’s Digital Transformation: A Collective Effort
In her keynote address, Dr. Nadu Denloye, Co-founder of Telnet Nigeria Limited, highlighted Africa’s ongoing digital transformation driven by increased connectivity, cloud adoption, and AI advancements.
“Africa’s digital revolution is unfolding at an unprecedented pace. By leveraging our collective expertise and fostering collaboration, we can overcome obstacles and unlock immense opportunities,” she remarked.
The event featured discussions from industry leaders, including:
- Dr. Ayaotunde Coker, CEO of Open Access Data Centres & Chairman of the Africa Data Centres Association
- Johnson AgboGbua, CEO of Kasi Cloud
- Obinna Isiadinso, Data Centres Global Sector Lead, International Finance Corporation
- Kazeem Oladepo, COO of IHS
- Mrs. Abibat Kazeem, Commercial Director, Bayobab
Conclusion
With NITDA’s strategic initiatives in cloud computing, AI applications, and regulatory frameworks, Nigeria is positioning itself as a formidable digital hub in Africa. As the government pushes for data localization and enhanced digital sovereignty, stakeholders remain optimistic about the country’s technological and economic transformation.