News Highlights:
- NITDA DG, Kashifu Inuwa, warns that Africa’s continued reliance on foreign cloud infrastructure poses risks to national security, economic competitiveness, and policy autonomy.
- Inuwa advocates a collaborative “cloud of clouds” model, urging African nations to integrate resources and build shared, localised infrastructure that can power AI development.
Africa’s path to true digital independence will depend on who controls its data and computing infrastructure, according to the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, who has called for an urgent continental shift toward cloud sovereignty.
Speaking at a high-level strategic session during GITEX Africa 2026 in Morocco, Inuwa warned that without domestic cloud infrastructure and stronger data control, African nations risk long-term digital dependence on foreign platforms.
He stressed that the continent must transition from being a passive consumer of imported technologies to becoming a builder of its own digital ecosystem.
He cautioned that Africa’s current fragmentation weakens its resilience, leaving countries exposed to external disruptions and limiting the prospects of a unified digital economy.
Framing the urgency in stark terms, Inuwa described today’s global system as one driven by rapid data flows and intelligent technologies, where digital integration is no longer optional.
Inuwa who illustrated this with a vivid analogy said, “In today’s reality, digital is no longer optional; it is a way of life. And the cloud is the oxygen that sustains that life. The question we must ask ourselves is: who controls that oxygen?”
At the heart of his argument is the concept of cloud sovereignty—ensuring that data generated within Africa is stored, processed, and governed locally.
According to him, the absence of regional data centres and harmonised regulations leaves African economies vulnerable to shifting foreign policies and geopolitical interests.
He called for a move away from siloed national efforts toward a federated regional model that pools infrastructure and expertise.
Such an approach, he noted, would allow African data to power local artificial intelligence systems and drive internal economic value rather than being exported for external gains.
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, Inuwa pointed out that although Africa accounts for between 15 and 19 per cent of the global population, it controls only about 0.6 per cent of global data centre and computing capacity.
Describing this disparity as more than a technological deficit, Inuwa stated: “This is not just a technology gap, it is a sovereignty gap. We are generating data, but we are not in control of how and where that data is stored, processed, or monetised.”
He warned that overreliance on foreign-owned cloud platforms could undermine national security, weaken economic competitiveness, and constrain policy autonomy, especially as data becomes a central resource in the global economy.
Despite these concerns, Inuwa expressed optimism about Africa’s prospects, citing its youthful population, rising internet penetration, and rapidly expanding startup ecosystem as key advantages.
He argued that the continent has a unique opportunity to bypass legacy systems and build modern, scalable infrastructure from the ground up.
However, he emphasised that no single country can achieve this transformation alone.
“There is no single country in Africa that can do this alone,” he said. “We must collaborate, integrate our efforts, and build shared infrastructure that benefits the entire continent.”
Central to his proposal is the creation of a “cloud of clouds”—a federated system linking national and regional platforms into a unified, interoperable network.
This model would enable countries to retain control over their data while benefiting from shared standards and cross-border scalability.
He referenced Gaia-X as a useful example, noting that while Africa’s realities differ, the principle of building a trusted, interconnected cloud ecosystem remains applicable.
Inuwa clarified that cloud sovereignty should not be mistaken for digital isolationism. Rather, it represents the ability of nations to define their own standards and make independent technological choices.
“Sovereignty is about having the ability to make our own choices, to define our own standards, and to build systems that reflect our values and priorities,” he said.
He added that investing in indigenous cloud infrastructure could unlock wide-ranging benefits, including job creation, innovation, improved digital services, and stronger investor confidence.
It would also position Africa to compete in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things.
Inuwa framed digital sovereignty as a strategic necessity rather than a technical ambition, and stressed that securing control over data storage and processing is essential for protecting critical infrastructure and shaping Africa’s future on its own terms.
His message was unequivocal: Africa must act collectively to localise its computational backbone or risk deepening its marginalisation in an increasingly competitive digital world.