Bosun Tijani unveils National Digital Cloud Policy, targets $750 million investments

The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced the National Digital Cloud Policy through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, aiming to attract $750 million in private investments over a span of 24 months. This announcement was made in a statement by Dr. 'Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy.

This initiative follows recent regulatory documents signed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) under the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI), which aims to create a trustworthy cloud ecosystem and bolster Nigeria's digital infrastructure.

Tijani emphasized that the policy is a vital part of the federal government's broader digital economy strategy. It sets up a coordinated framework to attract investments into cloud and data centre infrastructure. Under this policy, Nigeria aspires to become a regional hub for digital services and hosting, modernize government services, enhance local digital capabilities, and implement protective measures for government and regulated data.

The policy has been divided into four main priorities: investment and market development, regional digital services exports, government cloud transformation, and digital sovereignty and security.

A key strategy involves leveraging the government's collective purchasing power to spur domestic infrastructure investment. Tijani highlighted that Nigeria must transition from being a mere consumer of global cloud infrastructure to a competitive location for infrastructure, investment, skills, and digital services. The Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy will oversee regulatory frameworks, standards, and assurance.

Additionally, a Sovereign Government Cloud Governance Committee, chaired by the Minister, will oversee the implementation of the cloud sovereignty framework, providing strategic direction and whole-of-government coordination. The policy will be executed through a planned 24-month roadmap.

The move towards a sovereign cloud framework is prompted by rising cybersecurity threats amid Nigeria's rapid digital transformation. In May, NITDA warned about DeepLoad, an AI-powered malware targeting government agencies, financial institutions, businesses, and individuals, underscoring the importance of robust digital infrastructure protection, security standards, and governance frameworks.