By Blessing Emmanuel
National Informa tion Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated the Technical Working Group (TWG) on National Cloud Infrastructure.
The initiative is designed to enhance local cloud capabilities, attract hyperscale investments, and position Nigeria as Africa’s leading technology hub.
Speaking at the inauguration, NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, stressed the urgent need for accurate data and regulatory frameworks to support these initiatives. He noted that without a solid foundation, achieving digital sovereignty would be impossible.
“Without this foundation, we cannot achieve true digital sovereignty,” Inuwa stated. “Our goal is to build an ecosystem where local data center providers can scale, and global hyperscalers see Nigeria as a viable investment destination.”
Nigeria’s IT infrastructure faces significant challenges, with a major gap in data availability. Inuwa noted that Africa, despite making up nearly 19% of the world’s population, hosts less than 1% of global data centers.
He emphasised that this disparity and the lack of insight into Nigeria’s existing IT capacity hinder investment efforts.
“To address this, NITDA commissioned comprehensive research into Nigeria’s digital landscape,” he said.
“The findings reveal the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, clearer investment incentives, and deeper public-private collaboration. We have also engaged global consultants to redefine our cloud development strategies.”
Echoing Inuwa’s sentiments, Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, Barrister Emmanuel Edet, underscored the importance of regulatory intervention in building a robust digital economy.
“Our objective is to establish policies and legal frameworks that support cloud development, enabling us to securely host and manage our data,” Edet said.
“Equipping ourselves with top-tier training and expertise is essential to fully leverage digital technologies.”
Edet called on stakeholders to actively participate in shaping Nigeria’s digital future. “A collaborative framework that reflects our national interests will define Nigeria’s role in the global digital arena,” he added.
The TWG will play a crucial role in attracting hyperscale investments and enhancing local cloud capabilities by promoting the use of accurate data and recommending policies that support compliance and growth.
Key industry players, including Google, AWS, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, HUAWEI Cloud, Equinix, Kasi, Rack Centre, Africa Data Centres, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, have pledged their support and readiness to contribute resources to the initiative.
With collective effort, NITDA believes Nigeria can become the premier digital hub for West and Central Africa, driving economic growth and technological advancement in the region.
