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Policy as the Foundation of Nigeria’s Digital Future
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has reaffirmed the central role of public policy as the primary enabler of Nigeria’s digital transformation and long-term digital economy growth.
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Abdullahi made the case during a panel session at the IoT West Africa Conference, themed “The Lagos–Abuja Digital Corridor: Building Africa’s Next Data Centre and Cloud Hub.” He was represented at the session by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholders Management and Partnerships at NITDA.
Infrastructure Follows Demand, Policy Creates the Market
Speaking on behalf of the NITDA Director General, Dr. Onumo stressed that while digital infrastructure responds to demand, policy is the critical driver that creates the enabling environment for sustainable digital growth.
He cited Nigeria’s broadband policy, which mandates minimum internet speeds of 10 Mbps in rural areas and 25 Mbps in urban centres, as a strategic framework guiding infrastructure deployment along the Lagos–Abuja digital corridor. According to him, achieving scale will depend on deliberate collaboration among government, the private sector, and civil society.
Dr Aristotle Onumo
“Collaboration is the pathway that massifies impact, while partnership harnesses collective intelligence. No one can achieve this in isolation,” Onumo said.
Sovereign Cloud Project Targets Data Control and Cost Reduction
Onumo also highlighted the Nigerian Sovereign Cloud Project, a flagship initiative designed to strengthen indigenous cloud service providers and prevent Nigeria’s digital infrastructure from being dominated by foreign hyperscale operators.
The project aims to scale local infrastructure to global standards, domesticate data hosting, reduce operational costs, and expand access to cloud services nationwide—reinforcing Nigeria’s digital sovereignty while stimulating local investment in data centres.
Driving Demand Through Public-Private Partnerships
Beyond infrastructure development, NITDA stressed that policy must also stimulate demand. Onumo pointed to government-wide server consolidation as a powerful demand driver for cloud services, which in turn attracts private investment into data centres.
He emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in co-creating, co-owning, and co-delivering digital infrastructure and services. “We are no longer looking at IT from the perspective of infrastructure alone, but as an integrated system that creates value for the people,” he noted.
Digital Literacy and Inclusive Growth at the Core
Highlighting NITDA’s strategic action plan, Onumo referenced the Digital Literacy for All programme, which targets digital skills acquisition for 70 percent of Nigerians by 2027. Through partnerships with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), NITDA is deploying digital literacy champions across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, with a goal of training 30 million Nigerians within three years.
“That is the power of collaboration and partnership,” he said.
Data Protection and Sovereignty Take Centre Stage
Also speaking at the conference, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Vincent Olatunji, underscored the importance of strong data protection and privacy frameworks in safeguarding Nigeria’s digital economy.
Delivering the Day Two keynote, Olatunji highlighted data sovereignty, the expanding role of data centres, and regulatory obligations under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023. He warned that over 90 percent of Nigeria’s data is currently hosted offshore—posing risks to national sovereignty—and called for increased investment in local data centre infrastructure, a sector projected to reach $1.9 billion by 2031.
Building a Digitally Enabled Nigeria
Both NITDA and NDPC agreed that integrating sound policy, resilient infrastructure, robust cybersecurity, and emerging technologies is essential to unlocking Nigeria’s digital economy potential. Stakeholders were urged to work closely with regulators to build a digitally enabled, inclusive, and competitive Nigeria.
