NITDA Reaffirms Commitment to Innovation, AI for Nigeria’s Digital Growth

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering an innovative ecosystem that balances regulation with industry growth. The agency is investing in cloud infrastructure, data classification, and AI applications to position Nigeria as a leading digital hub in Africa.

Speaking at the Africa Hyperscalers Digital Infrastructure Outlook 2025, an event focused on exploring the rapidly growing digital infrastructure landscape in Africa. It brings together industry experts, stakeholders, and key players in the field of technology to discuss the role of hyperscalers (large-scale cloud computing and data services providers) in Africa’s digital transformation.

Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA’s Director General, reiterated this commitment as industry experts gathered to discuss Africa’s expanding role in the global AI-driven infrastructure boom.

Inuwa outlined NITDA’s dual regulatory framework, which consists of rule-based regulation, involving strict compliance guidelines, and non-rule-based regulation, which encourages industry-led innovation with defined benchmarks.

“Before we regulate anything, we need to be aware of the landscape. We need to be intelligent, have data, make sense of that data, and remain dynamic because technology evolves rapidly. We must build agility into the regulatory framework,” Inuwa stated.

He also highlighted the Cloud First Policy, introduced in 2019 to reduce dependence on physical data centres by encouraging cloud adoption among government agencies and private businesses. Initially, businesses were granted waivers to use public cloud infrastructure, but NITDA is now prioritising the development of local data centres.

A key milestone for NITDA has been its collaboration with global hyperscaler providers, including Google Cloud, which has pledged to work with local data centres to boost cloud adoption and establish a hyperscaler data centre in Nigeria. This initiative follows a meeting between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Paris, where the President outlined his vision for Nigeria’s digital transformation.

Also Read: President Tinubu, Google CEO Discuss AI, Tech Partnership

To further accelerate cloud adoption, NITDA is finalising a data classification framework to ensure that certain categories of data remain within Nigeria, a move expected to attract more cloud service providers and strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty.

Addressing the significance of AI applications, Inuwa emphasised NITDA’s commitment to leveraging AI for governance, regulation, and service delivery. He noted that AI can automate processes, enhance regulatory efficiency, and improve knowledge management systems, revolutionising governance and business operations.

Dr Nadu Denloye, Co-founder of Telnet Nigeria Limited, also spoke at the event, highlighting Africa’s rapid digital transformation driven by connectivity advancements, cloud adoption, data centres, AI, and a growing population of digital natives. She expressed optimism about developing solutions that will propel Africa’s digital growth.

Other notable panellists included:

Dr Ayaotunde Coker, CEO of Open Access Data Centres & Chairman of the Africa Data Centres Association

Johnson AgboGbua, CEO of Kasi Cloud

Obinna Isiadinso, Data Centres Global Sector Lead at the International Finance Corporation

Kazeem Oladepo, Chief Operating Officer at IHS

Abibat Kazeem, Commercial Director at Bayobab

This discussion underscores Nigeria’s commitment to digital transformation, leveraging AI and cloud technologies to drive innovation, economic growth, and global competitiveness.