NITDA Inaugurates Taskforce to Drive Nigeria’s National Sovereign Cloud Initiative

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)  has inaugurated the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative Implementation Taskforce (NSCI-ITF), marking a new phase in Nigeria’s efforts to move from developing its sovereign cloud framework to coordinated implementation.

The National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), coordinated by NITDA, provides a framework for strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and developing a secure, resilient, competitive and investment-ready cloud and digital infrastructure ecosystem. The initiative aims to strengthen the protection and assurance of critical digital assets while supporting innovation, indigenous capacity, private-sector investment and access to global technology.

According to NITDA, the inauguration follows the development and launch of the NSCI’s regulatory, technical, assurance and investment instruments. These instruments provide the foundation for cloud adoption, data governance, infrastructure assurance, technical standards and investment in Nigeria’s cloud and data-centre ecosystem.

The NSCI-ITF will serve as the principal multi-stakeholder mechanism for driving and coordinating implementation of the initiative. Its responsibilities will include regulatory concurrence and alignment, institutional coordination, operationalisation of NSCI instruments, resolution of cross-cutting implementation constraints, implementation monitoring and support for cloud adoption, infrastructure development, indigenous capacity and investment mobilisation.

NITDA said the taskforce will complement, rather than replace, the statutory responsibilities of participating regulators and government institutions. Its objective is to improve regulatory coherence and coordinated implementation while allowing each institution to continue exercising its responsibilities within its statutory mandate.

Through coordinated implementation, the NSCI is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s national digital infrastructure resilience, expand domestic cloud and data-centre capacity, increase indigenous participation, attract sustainable private investment and position Nigeria as a trusted destination for cloud and digital infrastructure in Africa.

With the inauguration of the NSCI-ITF, the initiative now moves into a phase focused on implementation, institutional alignment, investment and the delivery of measurable national outcomes.