ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The National Information Technology Development Agency is intensifying efforts to reinforce oversight of data governance and broaden the country’s software infrastructure as part of a wider push for digital sovereignty aimed at strengthening local technological capacity and safeguarding critical systems.
The initiative, built on the development of robust regulatory frameworks and digital infrastructure, seeks to improve integration across both public and private sectors while ensuring that data generated within Nigeria remains under local control.
The Director-General of NITDA, speaking during an engagement with Ericsson management at GITEX Africa in Morocco, stated that Nigeria’s strategy prioritises long-term technological independence rather than taking sides in global tech rivalries.
“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.
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“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 explained that Nigeria is not adopting an exclusionary stance toward international tech firms but is instead pursuing structured partnerships that deliver value 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 boss added that Nigeria’s approach reflects emerging global regulatory trends, pointing to frameworks such as the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act, and Data Governance Act as models of structured digital sovereignty.
He noted that digital infrastructure is already classified as critical national infrastructure under existing executive orders but emphasised that achieving full digital sovereignty will 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.”
He said a central priority of the policy is to ensure that locally generated data is protected while building domestic capacity in digital intelligence and innovation.
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“We want to keep the intelligence in our country. We want to be part of creating value, not just receiving technology,” he said.
He also highlighted concerns about longstanding global industrial imbalances, stressing that Africa must avoid repeating past patterns where it supplied 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. This time, it is about value creation and building our own digital offerings,” he said.