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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed key regulatory documents under Nigeria’s National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI).
This marks a major step towards establishing a trusted cloud ecosystem and strengthening the country’s digital infrastructure.
The three instruments signed are the National Cloud Computing Guideline, the National Cloud Technical Guideline, and the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework (NDIAF), alongside the presentation of the National Cloud Investment Strategy.
According to NITDA, the framework is designed to provide a structured national approach for cloud adoption, digital sovereignty, infrastructure assurance and investment, while positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for cloud services, data centres, artificial intelligence infrastructure, sovereign computing and other critical digital infrastructure.
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What NITDA is saying
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, described cloud infrastructure as a strategic national asset that supports digital government, financial services, artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, innovation and digital trade.
Abdullahi said the initiative represents Nigeria’s shift from developing digital policies to implementing frameworks that will provide regulatory certainty, technical standards and assurance mechanisms for the country’s cloud ecosystem.
He added that the framework would help safeguard Nigeria’s digital sovereignty while creating opportunities for investment, innovation and sustainable economic growth.
The NITDA chief executive noted that the initiative would establish the foundation for a trusted cloud ecosystem that balances digital security with economic opportunities.
The implementation of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative will begin immediately through a phased approach, with NITDA establishing the Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee to provide strategic oversight.
By October 2026, the agency plans to operationalise a national digital regulatory platform for the onboarding, assessment, certification and regulation of cloud and digital infrastructure providers operating in Nigeria.
More insights
The National Sovereign Cloud Initiative comes as NITDA intensifies efforts to strengthen trust, security and accountability across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem amid rising adoption of cloud services and emerging technologies.
- In July, the agency warned that fragmented cybersecurity defences across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) were creating vulnerabilities that could expose government digital infrastructure to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
NITDA, citing the Deloitte Nigeria Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, noted that cybercrime cost Nigeria more than $3 billion between 2019 and 2025.
Beyond cybersecurity, NITDA has also moved to improve the quality and reliability of software systems deployed across government and regulated sectors.
- Weeks before the sovereign cloud framework announcement, the agency launched the National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework, which requires federal government software projects to undergo independent third-party testing and certification before deployment.
According to NITDA, the framework is intended to reduce costly IT failures, strengthen cybersecurity and improve public confidence in digital government services.
The initiatives reflect NITDA’s broader approach of combining infrastructure development with stronger governance, security standards and digital trust as Nigeria seeks to expand its role in the regional technology ecosystem.
What you should know
The push for a sovereign cloud framework comes as Nigeria faces growing cybersecurity risks alongside rapid digital transformation.
In May, NITDA, through its Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT.NG), issued an advisory on DeepLoad, an artificial intelligence-powered malware it said was targeting government agencies, financial institutions, businesses and individuals.
The agency’s warning highlighted the increasing sophistication of cyber threats facing organisations as more critical services move online, reinforcing the need for stronger digital infrastructure protection, security standards and governance frameworks.
