Nigeria is positioning its rapidly expanding digital economy as a major catalyst for investment in data centres, cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence, with the Federal Government stressing the need for policy certainty, secure digital ecosystems and stronger connectivity to unlock the next phase of infrastructure growth.
Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed this while speaking on a high-level industry panel titled “Converting Digital Demand into Data Centre Investment” at the just-concluded ITW Data Cloud Africa 2026.
Inuwa, who participated in the panel alongside Ike Nnamani of Digital Realty Nigeria, Wole Abu of Equinix, Temitope Osunrinde of Africa Hyperscalers and Cherotich Kiereini of Oracle, said Nigeria’s growing digital footprint presents an opportunity to attract long-term capital into the country’s technology infrastructure ecosystem.
He, however, noted that converting rising demand for digital services into bankable and sustainable infrastructure projects would require a deliberate combination of government direction, regulatory predictability and a secure digital environment.
According to him, government’s foremost responsibility is to provide clear policy direction and establish a stable framework that gives investors confidence about how digital infrastructure will be deployed, regulated and utilised.
Inuwa stressed that policy clarity and regulatory certainty were critical to enabling infrastructure operators and investors to make long-term commitments, particularly in capital-intensive areas such as data centres, cloud computing and emerging artificial intelligence infrastructure.
He further identified Nigeria’s market size, strategic geographical position and growing technology talent as key advantages that could position the country as a digital infrastructure hub for West and Central Africa.
Beyond its large population, he said, Nigeria’s expanding demand for localised digital workloads presents a significant investment opportunity, while its geographical location makes it strategically positioned to serve as a major transit and connectivity hub for the wider region.
The NITDA chief also pointed to the country’s growing pool of technology professionals capable of developing innovative solutions on modern digital networks, saying this combination of market demand, connectivity and human capital strengthens Nigeria’s case as a destination for the next generation of digital infrastructure.
He added that digital trust and cybersecurity remain central to the government’s infrastructure strategy, noting that investors require an ecosystem where critical digital assets, networks and services are adequately protected.
Inuwa highlighted initiatives, including the Digital Assurance Framework, the Cybercrime Act and the broader National Cybersecurity Architecture as part of efforts to strengthen security across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
He explained that cybersecurity considerations now extend from last-mile devices to critical national infrastructure, with government information technology projects subjected to cybersecurity-by-design requirements and appropriate security clearances.
According to him, integrating security standards into digital infrastructure development aims to create a predictable and trusted environment that supports sustained investment in data centres, cloud services and artificial intelligence.
Inuwa said Nigeria’s ability to align digital demand with sound policy, reliable connectivity, strong cybersecurity and investor confidence would be crucial to transforming its digital growth into tangible infrastructure investment and reinforcing its position in Africa’s emerging digital economy.
