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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative Implementation Taskforce (NSCI-ITF).

This development marks Nigeria’s transition from developing its sovereign cloud framework to coordinated implementation and delivery.

NITDA announced the development in a statement on Monday, noting that the taskforce will serve as the principal multi-stakeholder mechanism for driving and coordinating the implementation of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI).

What NITDA is saying

NITDA said the initiative is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and support the development of a secure and resilient cloud infrastructure ecosystem.

• “The National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), coordinated by NITDA, provides the national framework for strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and developing a secure, resilient, competitive and investment-ready cloud and digital infrastructure ecosystem,” the agency said.
• “It seeks to strengthen protection and assurance of critical digital assets while enabling innovation, indigenous capacity, private-sector investment and access to global technology,” it added.

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

According to the agency, the NSCI-ITF will coordinate the implementation of these instruments while addressing cross-cutting constraints that could affect the delivery of the initiative.

Its priorities include regulatory concurrence and alignment, institutional coordination, operationalisation of the NSCI instruments and implementation monitoring, alongside support for indigenous capacity and investment mobilisation.

The NSCI is expected to 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.

Get up to speed

Nigeria’s push for sovereign cloud infrastructure has gathered pace over the past two years as the Federal Government seeks greater control over data and stronger domestic digital infrastructure.

• In February 2025, NITDA revealed it was finalising a data classification framework that would require certain categories of data to remain within Nigeria, linking the move to cloud adoption, investment and digital sovereignty.
• Later that month, NITDA inaugurated a Technical Working Group to develop a national cloud infrastructure strategy and attract hyperscale investments.
• In August 2025, NITDA also advanced efforts to improve access to locally anchored cloud services. By September that year, the government had announced plans to collaborate withBig Tech companies and hyperscalers to establish hyperscale data centres in Nigeria, as part of its broader Cloud First policy.
• A year later, on August 5, 2026, NITDA signed the key regulatory instruments underpinning the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative, including the National Cloud Computing Guideline, National Cloud Technical Guideline and National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework, alongside the National Cloud Investment Strategy.
• On August 18, theFG unveiled the National Digital Cloud Policy, targeting $750 million in private investment over the next 24 months for cloud and data-centre infrastructure.

Days later, NITDA and the Budget Office of the Federation inaugurated a Joint Technical Committee to drive implementation of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative, with a focus on the fiscal, procurement, financing and investment structures needed to support the policy.

The inauguration of the NSCI-ITF therefore marks the next phase of the initiative, moving it from framework development to coordinated implementation.

What you should know

Private-sector investment in Nigeria’s cloud and data-centre infrastructure has also gained momentum as demand for locally hosted digital services grows.

In May 2026, Kasi Cloud unveiled the first phase of a planned 100-megawatt data centre in Lagos, positioning the facility as part of efforts to expand Nigeria’s domestic cloud infrastructure and reduce reliance on offshore services.

The company said the facility could help retain more of the estimated $850 million Nigerian businesses spend annually on foreign cloud infrastructure, while strengthening the country’s capacity to support cloud computing, data-intensive services and emerging technologies.