Information Technology experts in Nigeria are seeing the possibility of achieving 30 per cent growth in local cloud hosting by the year 2024.
The experts, who spoke at the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association’s (NITRA) forum highlighted the numerous benefits of hosting data locally.
Addressing the theme, “Achieving 30 per cent Growth in Local Cloud Hosting by 2024” the Chief Executive Officer, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Mr Muhammed Rudman, said local hosting is critical for any country that wishes to develop its internet infrastructure and ensure national data sovereignty.
Rudman pointed out that Nigeria must aspire to become the hub for Internet content creators and not just content consumers in Africa.
He explained that local hosting in Nigeria is cost efficient and will reduce the huge capital flight.
According to Rudman, the reduction in capital flight will also lead to higher quality of service as local hosting enables websites run about three times faster than when the data is hosted overseas.
He added that hosting of content locally will further strengthen the cybersecurity of the country, as the passing of data between local networks would be within national borders stressing that it would ensure business continuity as Nigeria is dependent on submarine cables when hosting internationally.
“It is imperative to host data locally to avoid the complexity of international laws. Once important information is being hosted outside the country, the laws of the land no longer apply.
“Rather, the information and client data hosted abroad are now under the data privacy laws of the country where the data is being hosted.
“With local hosting, organisations and individuals are guaranteed of needed support at the right time, as barriers like time difference and language are no longer an issue”, he said.
Also speaking, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Abdullahi, in his keynote address said the government was providing an enabling environment for data hosting firms to thrive.
He noted that 30% in-country data hosting was achievable and highlighted the importance of protecting data as it is a major factor of production.
“Cloud hosting provides the opportunities for 100 per cent resource utilisation as resources are evenly distributed over several server and cost control due to elasticity of services where pricing depends on services consumption. You are 100 per cent in control,” he said.
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Also, in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Vintage Confluence, Mr Precious Aire, said that 30 per cent growth in local cloud hosting target by 2024 is achievable.
He said Nigeria can’t afford to ignore prominent issues like this at a time like this when the need for technology-driven innovations have almost become the breadth, or the soul of every business.
The President of Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, in a goodwill message said, “There are 11 data centres in Nigeria and the largest are expanding their capacity constantly in anticipation of a growing demand but currently the utilisation of capacity probably sits at below 30 per cent.”
He, therefore, noted that with four certified Tier 3 Constructed Facilities in Nigeria and more on the way, the Africa data centre market is expected to cross $3bn by 2025, growing at a CAGR over 12 per cent.
