The National Information Technology Development Agency is stepping up efforts to strengthen control over data governance and expand its national software infrastructure as part of a broader digital sovereignty drive aimed at deepening local technological capacity and securing critical systems.
The initiative, which is anchored on developing high-standard regulatory frameworks and digital infrastructure, is intended to enhance integration across public and private systems while ensuring that data generated within the country remains under domestic oversight.
The Director-General of NITDA, speaking during an engagement with Ericsson management at GITEX Africa in Morocco, said Nigeria’s approach is focused on building long-term technological independence rather than aligning with geopolitical divisions in global technology.
“We are building our national software infrastructure. We are coming up with very high-standard regulatory policies that will help us build capacity for digital software integration,” he said in a statement on Friday. “For me, it is not about politics. It is not about geo-tech politics.
It is not about banning China. It is about how we, as a country, have control and are able to shape our digital future.” He said Nigeria is not pursuing an exclusionary policy toward global technology companies but is instead seeking structured collaboration that ensures value creation within the country.
“We are not saying we are banning hyperscalers from coming. We want them to come, work with local partners, create value in Africa, and let us capture that value here,” he said. The NITDA DG added that Nigeria’s strategy mirrors emerging global regulatory trends, citing frameworks such as the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act, and Data Governance Act as examples of structured approaches to digital sovereignty.
He noted that Nigeria already considers digital infrastructure as critical national infrastructure under existing executive orders, but cautioned that building full sovereignty in the digital space would take time. “We already have an executive order that makes all digital infrastructure a national critical infrastructure,” he said.
“But building a fully sovereign digital system takes time. Even the EU did not achieve it overnight.” A key focus of the policy direction, he said, is ensuring that data generated locally is protected, while also developing domestic capacity in digital intelligence and innovation.
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He also referenced broader concerns about historical imbalances in global industrial development, arguing that Africa must avoid repeating patterns where it contributes raw materials and data without benefiting from value-added systems. “We don’t want a repeat of previous industrial revolutions where Africa was left behind.