NITDA launches sovereign cloud taskforce as FG targets $750m investment
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative Implementation Taskforce (NSCI-ITF), moving Nigeria’s sovereign cloud programme from policy development into coordinated implementation as the Federal Government targets $750 million in private investment for cloud and data-centre infrastructure over the next two years.
NITDA said the taskforce would serve as the principal multi-stakeholder mechanism for coordinating delivery of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), which is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and expand domestic cloud infrastructure.
The agency said the initiative seeks to protect critical digital assets while creating opportunities for indigenous technology development, private-sector investment and access to global technology.
“The National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), coordinated by NITDA, provides the national framework for strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and developing a secure, resilient, competitive and investment-ready cloud and digital infrastructure ecosystem,” the agency said.
The taskforce will coordinate implementation of the NSCI’s regulatory, technical, assurance and investment instruments while addressing cross-cutting constraints that could slow delivery.
Its priorities include regulatory alignment, institutional coordination, implementation monitoring, operationalisation of the NSCI framework, indigenous capacity development and investment mobilisation.
The development comes days after NITDA and the Budget Office of the Federation established a separate Joint Technical Committee to work on the fiscal, procurement, financing and investment structures required to implement the sovereign cloud policy.
The latest taskforce is therefore expected to provide a broader implementation mechanism linking the policy’s technical, regulatory and investment components.
The Federal Government’s cloud strategy has accelerated significantly over the past two years.
In February 2025, NITDA said it was finalising a data classification framework that would require certain categories of sensitive data to remain within Nigeria, while linking the policy to cloud adoption and digital sovereignty.
Later that month, the agency established a Technical Working Group to develop a national cloud infrastructure strategy and attract hyperscale investments.
The government subsequently announced plans to work with major technology companies and hyperscalers to establish large-scale data centres in Nigeria under its broader Cloud First policy.
On August 5, 2026, NITDA signed the National Cloud Computing Guideline, National Cloud Technical Guideline and National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework, alongside the National Cloud Investment Strategy.
On August 18, the Federal Government unveiled the National Digital Cloud Policy, which targets $750 million in private investment within 24 months.
The new taskforce now represents the next stage, with emphasis shifting from policy creation to actual delivery of infrastructure and investment.
Private-sector activity is also increasing.
In May, Kasi Cloud launched the first phase of a planned 100MW data-centre campus in Lagos, targeting cloud services, artificial intelligence workloads and other data-intensive applications.
The company said the project could help retain part of the estimated $850 million Nigerian businesses spend annually on offshore cloud services.
The investment case for domestic infrastructure is therefore broader than data storage. A stronger local cloud ecosystem could support AI, fintech, government digital services and other data-intensive industries while reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign infrastructure.
For the Federal Government, the immediate challenge is turning the new institutional framework into actual data-centre capacity, resilient power and connectivity infrastructure, credible regulation and sufficient private capital.
The inauguration of the NSCI-ITF marks a significant shift: Nigeria’s sovereign cloud initiative is moving from rules and policy documents to the implementation stage, with $750 million in targeted private investment now at stake.
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