NITDA Seeks Investment in Cloud, Data Centres to Drive Digital Economy
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NITDA Seeks Investment in Cloud, Data Centres to Drive Digital Economy
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called for increased investment in cloud infrastructure, data centres, broadband connectivity and emerging technologies to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation and economic growth.
Inuwa made the call while speaking at the closing keynote panel session of the Datacloud Global Congress 2026 held in Cannes, France.
The panel, themed “The Role of Digital Infrastructure in National Economies,” brought together global leaders to discuss the impact of digital infrastructure on economic growth, artificial intelligence strategy, digital sovereignty, workforce development and national competitiveness.
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The session was moderated by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the International Data Centre Authority, Mehdi Paryavi, and featured the Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology at Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, Ali Amur Al Shidhani, Chief Development Officer of the IDCA, Buddy Rizer, and the NITDA boss.
Speaking during the discussion, Inuwa described digital infrastructure as a critical driver of innovation, competitiveness and national development, noting that Nigeria was pursuing technology-led growth under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the Federal Government was leveraging digitalisation and strategic infrastructure expansion to diversify the economy and strengthen the country’s position in the global digital ecosystem.
The NITDA chief noted the National Cloud Policy as a key component of Nigeria’s digital strategy, explaining that it encourages cloud adoption across government institutions while promoting the hosting of government data within the country.
According to him, the policy is designed to strengthen digital sovereignty, improve public service delivery, stimulate the local cloud industry and boost public confidence in digital systems.
Inuwa also disclosed that a Technical Working Group comprising industry stakeholders, ecosystem players and hyperscalers had been established to support Nigeria’s sovereign cloud adoption agenda.
He said the group would help develop technical standards, strengthen governance frameworks and mobilise investments required to accelerate the development of trusted cloud infrastructure.
The NITDA boss further stressed the importance of expanding broadband penetration and advancing artificial intelligence development, describing both as essential to driving innovation, enabling scalable digital services and supporting economic transformation.
He added that Nigeria’s youthful population, growing digital talent pool, vibrant innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurial culture make the country an attractive destination for digital infrastructure investment.
Inuwa reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to building strategic partnerships and attracting investments that would accelerate the development of cloud infrastructure, data centres, connectivity, artificial intelligence and digital public infrastructure.
The Datacloud Global Congress is an annual gathering of policymakers, investors, hyperscalers, cloud providers, data centre operators and other stakeholders focused on shaping the future of global digital infrastructure and investment.
