NITDA Launches National Sovereign Cloud Initiative, Unveils New Regulatory Framework
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially commenced the implementation of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), signing three landmark regulatory instruments and unveiling the National Cloud Investment Strategy in a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and positioning the country as Africa’s preferred hub for cloud and digital infrastructure investments.
The implementation phase, formally launched in Abuja on Tuesday, marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by establishing a comprehensive framework for trusted cloud adoption, digital infrastructure assurance, and sustainable investment in cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and data centre infrastructure.
At the ceremony, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, signed the National Cloud Computing Guideline, the National Cloud Technical Guideline, and the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework (NDIAF), while also presenting the National Cloud Investment Strategy.
The strategy outlines Nigeria’s roadmap for attracting investments into cloud infrastructure, sovereign computing, AI infrastructure, data centres, and other critical digital infrastructure essential for economic growth.
Speaking during the event, Kashifu described cloud infrastructure as a strategic national asset that underpins digital government, financial services, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, digital trade, innovation, and national economic resilience.
He said the signing marked the country’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.
According to the NITDA boss, 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 that will involve government institutions, sector regulators, industry stakeholders, academia, development partners, and the private sector.
He explained that the initiative builds on the Federal Government’s Cloud First Policy and reflects years of collaboration involving 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 within two weeks it will establish the Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee (SovGov), which will provide strategic oversight for the initiative. The committee will comprise representatives from relevant government institutions, regulatory agencies, industry players, and the private sector, with NITDA serving as its secretariat.
The agency also disclosed plans to operationalise a national digital regulatory platform before October 2026 to serve as the central portal for provider registration, technical assessments, certification, publication of certified cloud and digital infrastructure service providers, implementation guidance, and certification verification.
Following the launch of the platform, 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, expected to commence in October 2026, will 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.
NITDA said the programme would also provide government institutions and regulated sectors with a trusted register of certified cloud service providers.
The agency further pledged to sustain engagement with government institutions, industry associations, regulators, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to ensure regulatory alignment, sector-specific implementation, and the development of complementary implementation guidelines where necessary.
According to NITDA, 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 leading destination for cloud services, AI infrastructure, data centres, and trusted digital infrastructure across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
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