In a major step toward securing Nigeria’s digital future, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially unveiled the National Sovereignty Cloud Initiative (NSCI) Regulatory Instruments. Coordinated by NITDA, the strategic government initiative aims to strengthen Nigeria’s data sovereignty and boost cloud adoption through four key components: the National Computing Guideline, the National Cloud Technical Guideline, the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework, and the National Cloud Investment Strategy.
Speaking at the launch event in Abuja, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, described the framework as essential for creating regulatory certainty, maintaining technical standards, and building a trusted cloud ecosystem. He emphasized that the initiative will drive local investment and innovation while positioning Nigeria as a premier digital gateway not just for the country, but for the wider West and Central African regions.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, highlighted that keeping government data strictly within national jurisdiction guarantees compliance and safeguards Nigeria’s data borders. He noted that the NSCI framework will catalyze local cloud capacity, foster job creation, and empower indigenous tech innovators to build solutions on secure, locally hosted infrastructure, committing the Ministry to driving implementation across all government bodies.
In a goodwill message, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Olayemi Cardoso—represented by Dr. Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, Director of the Payment System Supervision Department—hailed the collaboration between the apex bank and NITDA. He pointed out that NITDA’s cloud infrastructure standards directly complement the CBN’s financial system oversight, forming a unified architecture to establish Nigeria as a trusted regional hub for digital finance.
Adding an industry perspective, the Managing Director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, observed that the launch of the NSCI comes at an ideal time, aligning seamlessly with the CBN’s recent mandates requiring financial institutions to localize their data. He anticipated that the new framework would spur major investments and create workforce opportunities reminiscent of the growth seen after Nigeria’s telecommunications deregulation.
The event underscored a shared commitment across public and private sectors to establish a resilient, self-reliant digital economy. Institutional stakeholders praised the Technical Working Group and collaborative regulatory efforts, recognizing that joint action across government agencies, academia, and industry is necessary to ensure the seamless execution of the initiative.
To oversee the operationalization of the NSCI, NITDA announced that it will establish the Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee (SovGov) within two weeks. Comprising key representatives from government institutions, industry regulators, and the private sector—with NITDA serving as the Secretariat—the committee will lead the implementation of the sovereign cloud framework across the country.

The Director General, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa signing the National Sovereignty Cloud Initiative(NSCI) Memorandum of Understanding along side the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Data Centres Limited and Dr Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, Director, Payment Systems Supervision Department, CBN