Nigeria Champions Africa’s Digital Sovereignty and Regional Collaboration at ICEGOV 2025
Nigeria has once again positioned itself at the forefront of Africa’s digital transformation, as the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, emphasized the importance of digital sovereignty and regional collaboration for the continent’s future. Speaking at the 18th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV 2025) in Abuja, Inuwa highlighted that Africa’s digital progress must be grounded in trust, innovation, and local empowerment.
Held for the first time in West Africa, ICEGOV 2025 convened ministers, regulators, development partners, and innovators from over 50 countries under the theme “Shaping the Future of Digital Governance through Cooperation, Innovation, and Inclusion.” In his opening remarks, Inuwa described digital governance as a social contract built on accountability and shared progress, stressing that “digital is not an accessory to development – it is its backbone.”
Despite Africa accounting for nearly 18% of the world’s population, the continent currently contributes less than 1% to global data center and cloud infrastructure capacity. Inuwa warned that this dependency on external systems jeopardizes Africa’s digital independence. He called for the development of domestic cloud capacity, local data hosting, and regional interconnections to protect data, empower local innovation, and ensure sustainable digital sovereignty.
At the West African Digital Governance Forum (WADGov) and the APRM E-Governance Expert Meeting, Inuwa urged African nations to adopt shared frameworks aligned with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy (2020–2030). He highlighted the need for interoperable systems, cross-border cooperation, and people-centered governance frameworks that prioritize inclusion, transparency, and accountability.
Throughout the week, Nigeria showcased its achievements in building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including identity systems, digital payments, and secure data exchange. Inuwa referenced milestones such as the 126 million Nigerians enrolled in the National Identification Number (NIN) system and programmes like 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) and Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) as evidence of the country’s commitment to inclusive digital growth. NITDA continues to collaborate with regulators, operators, and development partners to ensure Africa can govern and protect its data independently while fostering innovation across the continent.
source: The Guardian