NITDA Enhances Nigeria's Software Infrastructure for Data Security

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is expanding Nigeria's software infrastructure to secure data systems, part of a broader initiative aimed at enhancing digital sovereignty. The Director General of NITDA emphasized the importance of developing a high-standard regulatory framework for data governance to ensure that data generated within Nigeria remains under domestic oversight.

This initiative was discussed during an engagement with Ericsson's management at GITEX Africa in Morocco. NITDA's approach focuses on building long-term technological independence rather than aligning with geopolitical divisions in global technology.

The agency aims to create value within the country by collaborating with global tech companies instead of pursuing exclusionary policies. NITDA's strategy reflects emerging global regulatory trends, citing frameworks like the European Union's Digital Market Act.

The agency has already executed orders to build a fully sovereign digital infrastructure, acknowledging that achieving this goal will take time. Ericsson, which has operated in Nigeria for five decades, supports the country's telecom development and is involved in advancing Nigeria's digital transformation agenda.