Nigeria's National Sovereign Cloud Initiative Explained

Dr. Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), discussed the National Sovereign Cloud initiative aimed at strengthening Nigeria's digital self-determination and localizing critical infrastructure. This initiative is part of a broader vision to position Nigeria as a digital gateway for West and Central Africa.

Inuwa noted that the journey began in 2019 with the introduction of the "Cloud First policy," which discouraged ministries and government agencies from building silo data centers due to high operational costs. Instead, the policy encouraged the use of cloud services, promoting local data center providers.

Despite this, over 85% of Nigeria's workload is currently on public cloud services, with significant internet traffic directed abroad for content consumption. Inuwa emphasized the need for institutional frameworks to build a local ecosystem and reduce reliance on foreign cloud services, aiming to localize data and enhance economic activities.