WorldStage– Mr Kashifu Inuwa, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria’s primary agency for IT development and regulation, has warned that African nations must urgently build domestic cloud infrastructure and enforce data sovereignty policies or face the risk of long-term digital dependence.
Inuwa raised concerns over the continent’s marginal position in the global digital ecosystem, noting that although Africa accounts for between 15 and 19 per cent of the world’s population, it controls just about 0.6 per cent of global data centre and computing capacity.
He described the imbalance as a strategic vulnerability that could limit innovation, weaken economic competitiveness, and leave African economies reliant on foreign-controlled digital systems.
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.
Expressing his concern over Africa’s limited share of global digital infrastructure, he said, 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 computationalfoundations.
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.
