The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced the implementation of Nigeria’s National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), signing three regulatory instruments and unveiling a national investment strategy aimed at strengthening digital sovereignty and attracting investment into cloud and other critical digital infrastructure.
The development marks the transition of the initiative from policy development to implementation, with NITDA set to begin the registration, technical assessment and certification of cloud and digital infrastructure providers from October 2026.
The regulatory instruments signed by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director-general of NITDA, are the National Cloud Computing Guideline, National Cloud Technical Guideline and National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework (NDIAF).
The agency also unveiled the National Cloud Investment Strategy, which provides a roadmap for attracting sustainable investments into cloud infrastructure, data centres, sovereign computing, artificial intelligence infrastructure and other critical digital assets.
According to NITDA, the new framework is intended to provide a structured national approach to cloud adoption, infrastructure assurance, digital sovereignty and investment, while positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for trusted cloud services, data centres, artificial intelligence infrastructure and sovereign computing.
Speaking at the event, Abdullahi described cloud infrastructure as a strategic national asset supporting digital government, financial services, artificial intelligence, digital trade, innovation and economic resilience.
“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.
Abdullahi said the signing concluded the policy development phase of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative and would usher in a phased implementation programme involving government institutions, sector regulators, academia, industry players, development partners and the private sector.
He said the initiative builds on the Federal Government’s Cloud First Policy and followed consultations with government agencies, indigenous cloud providers, global hyperscale cloud companies, data centre operators and development partners.
As part of the implementation roadmap, NITDA will constitute the Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee, known as SovGov, within two weeks to provide strategic oversight for the initiative.
The committee will comprise representatives from relevant government institutions, regulators and the private sector, with NITDA serving as its secretariat.
The agency also plans to operationalise a national digital regulatory platform before October 2026. The platform is expected to serve as a central portal for the registration and onboarding of cloud service providers, technical assessments, certification, publication of certified providers, verification of certifications and other regulatory services.
Following the launch of the platform, NITDA will commence the registration, technical assessment and certification of Cloud Service Providers, Data Centre Operators, Managed Service Providers, Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Providers, Sovereign Compute Providers and other eligible digital infrastructure operators covered by the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework.
The certification programme, expected to begin in October, will support compliance with cloud localisation requirements and operational resilience standards, including requirements introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
NITDA said the programme would also provide government institutions and regulated sectors with access to a trusted register of certified digital infrastructure providers.
The agency said the broader objective of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative is to create a secure and resilient cloud ecosystem capable of supporting Nigeria’s growing digital economy while improving confidence among local and international investors.
