E-Business
Nigeria Demands Cloud Sovereignty to Anchor Africa’s Digital Independence
Kashifu Inuwa, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, has issued a decisive mandate for African nations to establish domestic cloud infrastructure and data sovereignty or risk permanent digital subservience.
Speaking during a high-level strategic session at the GITEX Africa 2026 summit in Morocco, Inuwa argued that the continent must move beyond being a passive consumer of foreign technology to becoming a primary architect of its own digital ecosystem.
He warned that the current state of continental fragmentation leaves Africa vulnerable to external disruptions and prevents the realization of a truly integrated digital economy.
Inuwa characterised the modern global landscape as an environment defined by high-velocity data processing and pervasive intelligent systems, noting that digital integration is now a non-negotiable prerequisite for national survival.
He grounded this technical reality in a striking analogy, describing the cloud as the fundamental life-support system of the modern world. “In today’s reality, digital is no longer optional; it is a way of life,” Inuwa stated. “And the cloud is the oxygen that sustains that life.
The question we must ask ourselves is: who controls that oxygen?”
The push for cloud sovereignty represents a move toward localised data residency and autonomous computational power. Inuwa stressed that without regional data centers and unified regulatory frameworks, African nations remain subject to the policy shifts and geopolitical priorities of overseas providers.
He advocated for a shift from fragmented, siloed efforts toward a federated regional approach that pools resources and expertise to build a robust, self-sustaining African cloud. This transition is essential for ensuring that the massive datasets generated by African users are utilized to train local artificial intelligence models and catalyse internal economic growth rather than being exported for external profit.
The NITDA boss expressed concern over Africa’s limited share of global digital infrastructure, noting that while the continent accounts for between 15 to 19 percent of the world’s population, it holds only about 0.6 percent of global data centre and computing capacity.
He described the imbalance as a structural disadvantage that exposes African countries to risks around data security, economic dependency, and limited participation in the global innovation ecosystem.
“This is not just a technology gap, it is a sovereignty gap,” Inuwa stated. “We are generating data, but we are not in control of how and where that data is stored, processed, or monetised.”
He warned that over reliance on foreign owned cloud platforms could have long term implications for national security, economic competitiveness, and policy autonomy, especially as data becomes a critical resource in the global economy.
Despite these challenges, Inuwa highlighted Africa’s immense potential, pointing to its youthful population, expanding internet penetration, and fast growing startup ecosystem as key drivers of digital growth.
He said the continent is uniquely positioned to leapfrog legacy systems and build modern, scalable infrastructure that can support innovation across sectors.
However, he stressed that achieving this vision would require coordinated action among African governments, private sector players, and regional institutions.
“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 recommendation is the creation of a “cloud of clouds” a federated cloud ecosystem that connects multiple national and regional cloud platforms into a unified, interoperable network.
Such a system, he explained, would allow countries to maintain control over their data while benefiting from shared standards, scalability, and cross-border collaboration.
Inuwa pointed to Europe’s Gaia-X as a useful reference model, noting that while Africa’s context is different, the principle of building a trusted and interconnected cloud ecosystem remains relevant.
He emphasised that cloud sovereignty should not be misunderstood as protectionism or digital isolation, but rather as the capacity for self determination in the digital age.
“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.
Inuwa further noted that developing indigenous cloud capacity could unlock significant economic opportunities, including job creation, local innovation, improved digital services, and increased investor confidence.
It could also strengthen Africa’s position in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things, all of which depend heavily on robust cloud infrastructure.
The DG concluded by emphasising that the quest for digital sovereignty is not merely a technical objective but a strategic imperative for long-term stability. He asserted that for Africa to achieve meaningful autonomy in an increasingly digitised world, it must secure its own computational foundations.
By establishing indigenous control over data processing and storage, the continent can insulate its critical national infrastructure from external volatility while ensuring that its digital future is determined by its own policies and priorities. The message was clear: Africa must harmonise its infrastructure and localise its computational assets now or face an era of unprecedented digital marginalisation.
As global competition in the digital space intensifies, Africa’s ability to act collectively and strategically will determine whether it emerges as a major digital powerhouse or remains on the periphery of the digital revolution.
Africa’s leading technology distributor Powerhouse, TD Africa, has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing cybersecurity awareness and digital resilience by sponsoring the 3rd Annual Secure 360 Summit Nigeria 2026, hosted by global cybersecurity leader Check Point Software Technologies, as Gold Sponsor.
Chioma Chimere, Coordinating Managing Director, TD Africa
This year’s summit was held in Abuja and Lagos, bringing together key stakeholders from across Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
Now in its third edition, the Secure 360 Summit has evolved into one of Nigeria’s premier cybersecurity forums, bringing together Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs), IT Directors, and senior technology leaders from the financial services, telecommunications, enterprise, energy, and public sectors to address today’s rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
Speaking on the significance of the summit, Kingsley Oseghale, Country Manager, Check Point Nigeria, emphasized the need for stronger collaboration in tackling emerging cyber risks. “Cybersecurity has become a business priority rather than just an IT concern.
“Through the Secure 360 Summit, we continue to provide a platform for industry leaders to exchange insights, strengthen partnerships, and explore innovative approaches to securing today’s digital economy.
“We are pleased to have TD Africa as a valued partner in driving cybersecurity awareness across Nigeria.”
In her remarks, Chioma Chimere, Coordinating Managing Director, TD Africa, applauded Check Point for creating a platform that addresses one of the most critical challenges facing businesses and individuals. “Cybersecurity is everyone’s business. We owe it to ourselves, our organisations, and our communities to remain security-conscious in an increasingly connected world.
“At TD Africa, innovation drives everything we do, and innovation can only thrive in a secure environment.
“This is why we are proud to support initiatives like the Secure 360 Summit that promote knowledge sharing and strengthen our collective cyber resilience.”
The summit featured expert-led sessions on emerging cyber threats, artificial intelligence, cloud security, ransomware, and strategies for building resilient digital infrastructures, equipping participants with practical insights to navigate today’s cybersecurity landscape.
Through its continued partnership with global technology leaders like Check Point, TD Africa remains committed to empowering businesses across Africa with world-class cybersecurity solutions, fostering industry collaboration, and driving the continent’s secure digital transformation.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that every Nigerian is enrolled in the national identity database before the end of 2026, according to Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general and chief executive officer of the agency.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general and chief executive officer, NIMC
Coker-Odusote, who appeared on Channels Television, said the directive forms part of the federal government’s efforts to establish a comprehensive national identity system capable of supporting effective governance, planning, and service delivery.
“The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian,” she said.
According to her, NIMC is working with partners under the World Bank-supported Identification for Development (ID4D) project to accelerate nationwide enrolment.
“What we have done is we have partnered through the World Bank ID4D project with front-end partners. They are part of the digital identity ecosystem. These are private citizens that we’ve enabled and given jobs to enrol citizens on our behalf,” she explained.
She stressed that the National Identification Number (NIN) remains a unique identifier, ensuring that every individual is registered only once.
“That’s why it’s called a unique identifier, so that you’re only enrolled once,” the NIMC DG added.
Coker-Odusote said Nigeria’s actual population remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 200 million to 250 million, making a comprehensive identity database essential for national planning.
“It is estimated that we’re 200 million. When we’re done enrolling, we will then know the actual numbers that we have. Some estimates say 230 million, while a few people say 250 million.
“Your identity is basically the foundation for effective governance and service delivery. How can you plan if you don’t know the total number of persons that you have? We have been mandated by Mr President to go down to the community levels to enrol every single Nigerian”, she said.
Responding to concerns about whether an individual could obtain multiple identities by registering in different locations or under different names, the NIMC boss said the commission’s biometric verification system prevents such occurrences.
She explained that while the previous system could accept duplicate enrolments before detecting them later, the current process automatically identifies and invalidates multiple registrations.
“The legacy system had no way of verifying at the front end whether you had already been captured. Once the record comes into the system, it flags it as a duplicate or that the person already exists in the database.
“You would only have one identity generated for you. The other record goes into a deduplication bucket where it is invalidated,” she said.
The NIMC DG added that biometric verification, including fingerprints and facial recognition, makes it virtually impossible for one person to maintain multiple identities.
“Absolutely. One of the things that this Act has done is to cement our role in capturing biometrics. Private and public sector organisations will no longer capture biometrics independently. They will validate identities through API integration with NIMC.
“The telcos are already doing that with us. If you need a SIM card, they capture your facial biometrics, which are matched against our database in real time to confirm that you are who you claim to be. We’re using biometric validation to tighten security around identity confirmation,” she said.
The remarks come weeks after Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law on June 26, repealing the 2007 legislation.
The new law reinforces the “One Person, One Identity” policy by making the NIN the country’s foundational identity credential for accessing government and essential private services, including banking, passport applications, tax administration, pensions, land transactions, and consumer credit.
It also introduces stiffer penalties for identity theft, multiple registrations and unauthorised access to personal identity data, while strengthening data privacy protections and granting NIMC wider powers to investigate identity-related offences.
Cybersecurity and privacy experts are raising concerns around the growing trend of sports fans using generative AI to create World Cup-related images, mock-ups, predictions and social media content.
Whilst offering new ways for supporters to engage with major sporting events, these tools also introduce risks that many users may underestimate. In light of this, Kaspersky has shared the key risks fans should keep in mind when using generative AI tools, so they can continue enjoying the championship with peace of mind.
When fan AI goes rogue. A growing number of AI tools are being used to create World Cup-themed visuals, avatars, memes and other fan content. While these services may seem creative and harmless, not all of them come from trusted providers.
Many are launched quickly to capitalise on interest around major events, increasing the likelihood that users will interact with platforms that offer limited transparency around data handling, lack adequate privacy and security measures, or might even be designed with malicious intent.
Personal data at stake. To create customised World Cup content, users are often asked to upload selfies, sign up with an email address, connect social media accounts or share other personal information. In doing so, they may reveal more information than necessary without fully understanding how that data will be stored, used, or potentially exposed.
“AI-driven fan content may seem harmless, but one of the key privacy risks is that users are often encouraged to share far more personal information than necessary. A simple request to generate a themed avatar can involve the collection of photos, contact details, account data and behavioural insights – information that may later be insufficiently protected.
“Because major global events often create an ideal environment for opportunistic actors, fans should take a closer look at how these tools manage personal data before engaging with them,” says Anna Larkina, web content analysis and privacy expert at Kaspersky.
When fan content becomes a scam. AI-generated World Cup content in some cases can also be used to support fraud. Cybercriminals may use convincing mock-ups, fake giveaways, or official-looking fan pages to attract attention and build trust. Once users engage, they may be redirected to phishing sites, fake stores, fraudulent offers, or betting-related scams. Generative AI makes these campaigns easier to produce, more persuasive and far easier to scale.
The myth of AI predictions. Another area that deserves caution is AI-powered match prediction. However advanced or data-driven these tools may appear, AI cannot reliably predict inherently uncertain sporting outcomes. When used to promote betting, paid subscriptions or “insider communities”, such services can create a false sense of confidence and encourage risky decisions.
Next Currency Crisis May Turn $300Bn in Stablecoins into National Currencies
NIHSA Warns States of Possible Flood within Seven Days
FG to Raise N1.2 Trillion via Fresh Bond Offer – DMO
Gigbanc Nigerian Fintech Startup Closes Shop after 3 Years
Mbunabo, Nigerian Filmmaker Accuses Ghana TV Stations of Pirating Nollywood Films
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
Nigeria Launches FreeTV Nationwide
NASENI Moves to Digitize CCB’s 5m Assets Declaration and Operations
Lebara Nigeria Launches Lebara Play, Africa’s First Telecom-Owned Micro-Drama Platform
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
News3 days agoXora Finance, Fintech Firm Refuses to Hire Nigerians over Alleged Dishonesty
Telecom3 days agoNCC Advances Dig Once Policy, Engages Stakeholders on Cost-Based Framework for Duct Sharing
Telecom3 days agoNCC to Keynote Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum 7.0
General News3 days agoFG Secures Fresh $208.3m World Bank Loan for Cash Transfer
News3 days agoHow Ponzi Scheme Victims can Seek Legal Remedies — Lawyers
Telecom2 days agoMTN Nigeria Slashes Cost of Broadband Internet Router, Unwraps New Data Bundles for Low-Budget Users
News3 days agoPalmPay Nigeria Appoints Samuel Oluyemi as Chief Operating Officer
E-Financial2 days agoNigerians Accumulate $59Bn in Cryptocurrency Assets —FDC