The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially commenced the implementation of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), unveiling a comprehensive regulatory framework and investment strategy aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and positioning the country as Africa’s leading destination for cloud computing and digital infrastructure investments.
The implementation phase, launched in Abuja on Tuesday, marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by establishing a framework for trusted cloud adoption, digital infrastructure assurance, and sustainable investment in cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, and other critical digital infrastructure.
At the ceremony, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, signed three key regulatory instruments—the National Cloud Computing Guideline, the National Cloud Technical Guideline, and the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework (NDIAF)—while also unveiling the National Cloud Investment Strategy.
The investment strategy outlines Nigeria’s roadmap for attracting local and international investments into sovereign cloud infrastructure, AI infrastructure, data centres, and other digital assets considered essential for economic growth and technological advancement.
Speaking at the event, Abdullahi described cloud infrastructure as a strategic national asset that powers digital government, financial services, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, digital trade, innovation, and economic resilience.
He said the launch signified Nigeria’s transition from policy formulation to implementation.
“Today’s signing marks our transition from policy development to implementation. These instruments provide the regulatory certainty, technical standards, and assurance framework required to build a trusted cloud ecosystem that safeguards Nigeria’s digital sovereignty while creating new opportunities for investment, innovation, and sustainable economic growth,” he said.
The NITDA boss explained that the signing concludes the development phase of the regulatory framework for the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative and signals the commencement of a phased nationwide implementation programme involving government institutions, sector regulators, industry stakeholders, academia, development partners, and the private sector.
According to him, the initiative builds on the Federal Government’s Cloud First Policy and is the outcome of years of collaboration among government agencies, global hyperscale cloud providers, indigenous cloud and data centre operators, development partners, and other stakeholders.
As part of the implementation roadmap, NITDA announced that it will establish the Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee (SovGov) within the next two weeks to provide strategic oversight for the initiative. The committee will comprise representatives of government institutions, regulatory agencies, industry players, and the private sector, with NITDA serving as its secretariat.
The agency also disclosed plans to launch a national digital regulatory platform before October 2026. The platform will serve as the central portal for provider registration, technical assessments, certification, publication of certified cloud and digital infrastructure providers, implementation guidance, and certification verification.
Following the platform’s rollout, NITDA will begin the registration, technical assessment, and certification of Cloud Service Providers, Data Centre Operators, Managed Service Providers, AI Infrastructure Providers, Sovereign Compute Providers, Service Integrators, and other eligible digital infrastructure providers under the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework.
The certification programme, scheduled to commence in October 2026, is expected to support compliance with the National Cloud Computing Guideline and sector-specific cloud localisation, operational resilience, and digital infrastructure requirements, including those introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
According to the agency, the programme will provide government institutions and regulated sectors with a trusted register of certified cloud service providers while promoting confidence in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
NITDA reaffirmed its commitment to sustained engagement with government institutions, regulators, industry associations, development partners, and the private sector to ensure seamless implementation, regulatory alignment, and the development of complementary guidelines where necessary.
The agency noted that the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to building a secure, resilient, and investment-friendly digital ecosystem capable of driving innovation, strengthening national digital sovereignty, and positioning the country as a preferred hub for cloud services, AI infrastructure, data centres, and trusted digital infrastructure across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
