Gami Tadanyigbe
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled the National Sovereignty Cloud Initiative (NSCI) Regulatory Instruments, marking a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty, enhancing data security, and accelerating investment in indigenous cloud infrastructure.
The regulatory instruments, launched in Abuja, are designed to provide the legal, technical, and operational framework for building a secure and trusted cloud ecosystem that supports Nigeria’s digital economy while positioning the country as a regional digital hub.
DG, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa signing the National Sovereignty Cloud Initiative(NSCI) Memorandum of Understanding along side the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Data Centres Limited and Dr Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, Director, Payment Systems Supervision Department, CBN
Speaking at the unveiling, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, described the initiative as a strategic milestone in safeguarding Nigeria’s digital future and creating opportunities for innovation, investment, and economic growth.
He explained that the NSCI comprises the National Computing Guideline, National Cloud Technical Guideline, National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework, and National Cloud Investment Strategy, all aimed at strengthening confidence in local cloud services.
According to him, the regulatory instruments will provide certainty for investors, establish technical standards for cloud deployment, and enhance Nigeria’s digital resilience.
“We should position ourselves not only to serve Nigeria but also West and Central Africa. Nigeria is already the digital gateway to West Africa, and we can extend that leadership across the continent by building our digital infrastructure,” Abdullahi said.
He commended members of the NSCI Technical Working Group and other stakeholders for their contributions, stressing that successful implementation would require strong collaboration among regulatory agencies and industry players.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, said the launch reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s data borders while deepening the country’s digital economy.
Gagare noted that keeping government data within Nigeria’s jurisdiction would strengthen data sovereignty, improve regulatory compliance, stimulate local cloud capacity, create jobs, and encourage indigenous technology investments.
He assured that the ministry would work closely with ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure the full implementation of the initiative.
Representing the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Olayemi Cardoso, the Director of Payment System Supervision, Dr. Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, reaffirmed the apex bank’s commitment to collaborating with NITDA in strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
She said the partnership between both institutions would help build a secure ecosystem that protects the country’s financial system while positioning Nigeria as Africa’s trusted hub for digital finance and cloud innovation.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, described the initiative as timely, particularly following the Central Bank’s directive requiring banks and other financial institutions to localise their data.
He expressed optimism that the framework would encourage investment in local cloud infrastructure, develop indigenous digital talent, and create employment opportunities similar to those witnessed after the deregulation of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
As part of the implementation process, NITDA announced that it will constitute the Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee (SovGov) within the next two weeks.
The committee, comprising representatives of relevant government institutions, regulators, industry players, and the private sector, will oversee the implementation of the National Sovereignty Cloud Initiative, with NITDA serving as its Secretariat.