The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s ambition to become a leading digital hub in Africa, highlighting the country’s ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, cloud technologies, broadband expansion, and artificial intelligence at the Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes, France.
Inuwa made the remarks during the closing keynote panel session titled “The Role of Digital Infrastructure in National Economies,” where he joined global policymakers and industry leaders to discuss how digital infrastructure is shaping economic growth, innovation, digital sovereignty, workforce development, and national competitiveness.
The session, moderated by IDCA Chairman and CEO, Mehdi Paryavi, featured prominent speakers including Ali Amur Al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology at Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, and Buddy Rizer, Chief Development Officer at IDCA.
Speaking on Nigeria’s digital transformation journey, Inuwa described digital infrastructure as a critical foundation for economic growth, innovation, and national development. He noted that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government is accelerating efforts to diversify the economy through digitalisation, technology-driven development, and strategic investments in digital infrastructure.
According to him, one of the key pillars of Nigeria’s digital strategy is the National Cloud Policy, which encourages the adoption of cloud technologies across government institutions while promoting the hosting of government data within the country. He explained that the policy is aimed at strengthening digital sovereignty, improving public service delivery, fostering trust in digital systems, and stimulating growth within the domestic cloud ecosystem.
The NITDA Director General also highlighted the establishment of a Technical Working Group comprising ecosystem players, industry stakeholders, and hyperscalers to support Nigeria’s sovereign cloud agenda. The group, he said, is expected to develop technical standards, strengthen governance frameworks, and mobilise investments necessary to accelerate the development of trusted cloud infrastructure across the country.
Inuwa stressed the importance of expanding investments in data centres, broadband connectivity, cloud infrastructure, and emerging technologies to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy. He identified broadband penetration, artificial intelligence development, and effective policy implementation as critical enablers for innovation, scalable digital services, and long-term economic transformation.
Showcasing Nigeria’s attractiveness as a digital investment destination, he pointed to the country’s youthful population, growing pool of digital talent, vibrant innovation ecosystem, resilient entrepreneurial culture, and ongoing reforms designed to create an enabling environment for technology investments.
He further reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to building strategic partnerships that will accelerate the growth of cloud infrastructure, data centres, connectivity, artificial intelligence, and digital public infrastructure, positioning the country as a globally competitive digital economy.
The Datacloud Global Congress is one of the world’s leading gatherings of policymakers, investors, hyperscalers, cloud providers, data centre operators, and digital infrastructure stakeholders. The annual event serves as a platform for shaping discussions on the future of digital infrastructure, technology investment, and innovation across global markets.
