NITDA, CBN partner to strengthen Nigeria’s digital sovereignty, data protection
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and protecting the nation’s critical digital infrastructure through its partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to advance the implementation of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative and data localisation.
NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, said this at the Executive Regulatory Dialogue which was organised by NITDA in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Lekki, Lagos State.
The engagement brought together stakeholders across the financial services, telecommunications, data centre, and technology sectors to discuss strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s control over the digital infrastructure that underpins its economy.
During his welcome and context-setting address, Inuwa emphasised that digital sovereignty has become a critical national priority as Nigeria’s economy increasingly relies on digital platforms and infrastructure to deliver essential services, particularly in the financial sector.
While highlighting the potential implications of external disruptions to essential digital services, Inuwa questioned, “Imagine what will happen to our economy if tomorrow a major disruption or geopolitical crisis prevents our banks from accessing critical digital infrastructure hosted outside our country. Can our citizens still transfer money? Can businesses still receive payments? Can our banks keep processing transactions? Can our economy continue functioning?”
He explained that such concerns extend beyond technology to issues of national economic security, financial stability and the country’s ability to maintain control over its digital future.
According to the NITDA DG, digital sovereignty should not be interpreted as technological isolation or an attempt to develop every technology locally. Rather, it involves building the national capacity required to make informed decisions about the technologies, infrastructure and standards on which the country depends.
“Digital sovereignty is not about politics. It is not about isolation. It is not about building everything ourselves, but it is about building our digital capacity to compete in the world we are today,” Inuwa stated.
