Key Points
- NITDA says control of critical digital infrastructure is essential to Nigeria’s digital economy.
- Cloud-first policy seeks to attract infrastructure investment from global technology companies.
- Agency identifies health-tech, agri-tech and ed-tech as areas for startup growth.
Main Story
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for greater control of Nigeria’s critical digital infrastructure to enable the country to capture more economic value from its growing digital economy.
NITDA Director-General, Mr Kashifu Inuwa, made the call on Thursday during a fireside chat at GITEX AI Nigeria in Lagos.
Inuwa said digital technology would be critical to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a trillion-dollar economy by increasing productivity, income generation and prosperity.
He said modern businesses increasingly depended on data, connectivity and computing power, making domestic digital infrastructure important to how economic value was created and retained.
According to him, Nigeria’s National Cloud-First Policy is intended to encourage businesses and large organisations to prioritise cloud infrastructure while directing more resources towards innovation and core operations.
He said the policy was not designed to exclude international technology companies but to encourage them to invest in infrastructure and operate within Nigeria’s regulatory framework.
“We are saying, come to Nigeria, work with us and build with us,” Inuwa said.
He said the policy could attract investment from hyperscalers, other global technology companies and local investors into Nigeria’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.
Inuwa dismissed concerns that the policy could isolate Nigeria, saying it was instead intended to strengthen the country’s ability to determine its digital future.
The Issues
Inuwa said certain categories of data, including defence, financial transaction, citizens’ and healthcare data, required stronger protection because of their implications for national and economic security.
Nigeria’s position as a major internet transit hub for West and Central Africa also makes domestic digital infrastructure strategically important, he said.
According to Inuwa, infrastructure and digital skills developed in Nigeria could serve neighbouring landlocked countries and strengthen the country’s position in the regional digital economy.
He also said NITDA was working with state governments to domesticate relevant national policies and regulations, with the aim of ensuring that states had the infrastructure, talent and enabling environment to participate in the digital economy.
What’s Being Said
“We are saying, come to Nigeria, work with us and build with us.” – Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA Director-General.
“We want to see startups building similar solutions in other parts of the country, not just in fintech, where we already have many unicorns.” – Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA Director-General.
What’s Next
NITDA plans to continue working with state governments to implement relevant national digital policies and regulations.
Inuwa said government policies were also opening opportunities for startups in sectors beyond fintech, including health-tech, agri-tech and ed-tech.
He cited the establishment of a National Health Technology Office as part of efforts to decentralise healthcare and create opportunities for technology-driven solutions.
Similar interventions in agriculture and education are expected to create opportunities for entrepreneurs to develop technology-based responses to challenges in those sectors.
Inuwa urged startups to move beyond traditional business models and use technology to develop new value propositions and scalable solutions.
He said Nigeria’s experience in fintech showed how deliberate government policies and enabling infrastructure could stimulate innovation and create new industries.
Bottom Line
NITDA says Nigeria’s ability to benefit fully from its digital economy depends on stronger domestic control of critical infrastructure, data and computing capacity. The agency is seeking to attract global investment while encouraging Nigerian startups to expand technology solutions into sectors beyond fintech.
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