NITDA's Kashifu Inuwa Reveals N3.8 Trillion Tech Spending

Kashifu Inuwa, the director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), disclosed that 326 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) spent more than N3.8 trillion on technology from June 2023 to the present. Speaking at an Executive Regulatory Dialogue on the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI) and Data Localization Implementation in Lagos, Inuwa advocated for consolidating expenditures through cloud services to improve efficiency and accelerate digital service delivery.

He mentioned that NITDA is collaborating with the Budget Office to ensure MDAs comply with the government's data localization framework, with a deadline for public institutions to be established. Inuwa raised concerns about the implications of disruptions to critical digital infrastructure for the economy, particularly regarding the financial system.

He stated that the financial sector is prioritized due to its digitalization and highlighted the Central Bank of Nigeria's efforts to prepare financial institutions for compliance with the January 1, 2027 payment data localization deadline.