FG Unveils National Digital Cloud Policy to Boost Infrastructure

The Nigerian federal government has introduced a national digital cloud policy to bolster the country's digital infrastructure, according to a statement by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. The new policy aims to establish a comprehensive national framework to improve government oversight and internalize Nigeria's cloud infrastructure ecosystem.

Tijani stated that the policy represents a key element of the federal government's broader digital economy strategy, and provides a coordinated framework to draw investment into cloud and data center infrastructure, position Nigeria as a regional digital services hub, modernize government service delivery, strengthen local digital capabilities, and establish appropriate safeguards for government and regulated data.

The policy sets forth four primary priorities: investment and market development, regional digital services exports, government cloud transformation, and digital sovereignty and security. These priorities are outlined with clear, proportionate, and risk-based requirements for the protection, residency, and control of specific categories of government and regulated data.

A key aspect of the policy is leveraging the government's collective purchasing power to stimulate domestic infrastructure investment through a whole-of-government aggregation framework. This approach aims to minimize redundant spending, secure more favorable commercial terms for the government, and provide a steady anchor demand to support long-term private investment in Nigeria's digital infrastructure.

Additionally, the policy intends to create a National Digital Marketplace to facilitate coordinated and transparent procurement of cloud and digital infrastructure services. It also proposes dedicated cloud budget arrangements and an anchor-capacity mechanism to enhance predictability in government demand.