News Highlights:
- The FG, through NITDA, is prioritising national software infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and data protection to ensure that Nigeria controls its digital future.
- Ericsson reaffirmed its five-decade presence in Nigeria and outlined an MoU with the government, including a joint innovation hub, national hackathon, digital skills programmes, and exchange of best practices.
Nigeria is stepping up its drive to secure digital sovereignty by building a robust national software infrastructure and tightening its digital governance framework.
The effort is designed to ensure that critical systems remain under domestic control while fostering local technological innovation.
Speaking during an engagement with Ericsson’s management at GITEX Africa in Morocco, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, said Nigeria’s digital strategy prioritises long-term technological independence over geopolitical competition.
“We are building our national software infrastructure. We are coming up with very high-standard regulatory policies that will help us build capacity for digital software integration,” he said.
“For me, it is not about politics. It is not about geo-tech politics. It is not about banning China. It is about how we, as a country, have control and can shape our digital future.”
Inuwa emphasised that Nigeria is not shutting out global players but is seeking partnerships that deliver tangible value locally.
“We are not saying we are banning hyperscalers from coming. We want them to come, work with local partners, create value in Africa, and let us capture that value here,” he noted.
He pointed to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act, and Data Governance Act as examples of regions asserting digital sovereignty through structured policies.
Nigeria, he explained, is pursuing a similar path, treating digital infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.
“We already have an executive order that makes all digital infrastructure a national critical infrastructure,” he said. “But building a fully sovereign digital system takes time. Even the EU did not achieve it overnight.”
A central priority is ensuring that data generated within Nigeria remains protected and that intellectual capacity is developed domestically.
“We want to keep the intelligence in our country. We want to be part of creating value, not just receiving technology,” Inuwa stressed.
He warned against repeating historical patterns where Africa contributed raw materials, labour, and data without benefiting from value-added industries.
“We don’t want a repeat of previous industrial revolutions where Africa was left behind. This time, it is about value creation and building our own digital offerings,” he added.
Reaffirming its long-standing role in Nigeria’s telecom sector, Amos Haddebe, Ericsson’s Director for Government and Policy Advocacy in Africa, highlighted Ericsson’s five-decade presence in Nigeria, supporting the evolution from 2G to 5G.
He outlined four pillars of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Nigerian government in October 2024: the establishment of a joint innovation hub, the launch of a national hackathon, digital skills development programmes, and the exchange of best practices.
Haddebe noted that the hackathon, supervised by the Vice President, is already underway and integrated into broader innovation initiatives.
He also cautioned that rising competition in Africa’s telecoms sector requires governments to treat ICT infrastructure as a matter of national security and diversify vendor ecosystems to safeguard resilience.
Nigeria’s push for digital sovereignty reflects a broader ambition: to secure control over its digital future, protect data ownership, and ensure that Africa captures value in the digital age.
Clearer policy directions are expected in the coming months as part of the national digital transformation agenda.