FG Unveils National Digital Cloud Policy to Boost Nigeria’s Cloud, AI and Data Infrastructure

The Federal Government has unveiled a new National Digital Cloud Policy aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s cloud computing, data centre and artificial intelligence infrastructure while positioning the country as a major digital services hub in Africa.
The policy was unveiled by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, as part of efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation and build the infrastructure required to support emerging technologies.
According to the minister, cloud and data infrastructure have become foundational to modern economies, supporting artificial intelligence, financial technology, digital government, healthcare, education, e-commerce and other technology-driven services.
The National Digital Cloud Policy provides a coordinated framework for expanding Nigeria’s cloud ecosystem and increasing domestic infrastructure capacity. It is designed to encourage both Nigerian and international technology companies to invest in cloud infrastructure, data centres, connectivity and AI computing capacity.
A major component of the policy is the Federal Government’s decision to maintain an open and competitive multi-provider cloud market, allowing domestic and international cloud providers to participate in Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
The policy also introduces targeted sovereignty requirements for specific categories of government and regulated data. However, the government clarified that it will not impose general data localisation requirements on commercial data.
Dr. Tijani said Nigeria must move beyond being primarily a consumer of global cloud infrastructure and become a competitive destination for infrastructure, investment, skills and digital services.
The policy will also support the development of regional digital services by enabling cloud and data infrastructure located in Nigeria to serve customers across West Africa and the wider African market.
Under the implementation framework, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will provide regulatory oversight, standards and assurance, while the Galaxy Backbone (GBB) will lead operational delivery, shared infrastructure and demand aggregation.
The government plans to implement the policy through a phased 24-month roadmap, beginning with policy activation, baseline assessments, institutional arrangements and investment facilitation.
The initiative complements other federal digital infrastructure programmes, including Project BRIDGE, which targets the deployment of at least 90,000 kilometres of additional fibre-optic infrastructure, and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, which is developing skills in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and software engineering.
The Federal Government said the combined investment in connectivity, cloud infrastructure and digital skills is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s technological capacity and create the foundation for the next phase of the country’s digital economy.