Nigeria is urging African nations to accelerate the development of Local Cloud Infrastructure and take greater control over their data, cautioning that continued dependence on foreign tech giants could trap the continent in prolonged digital subordination.
Key Takeaways:
• Increasing Investments in AI driving the need for African Independent Local Cloud Infrastructure.
• African Governments have a huge role to play in the development of African Local Cloud & Data Infrastructures.
• Increased Benefits of having an Independent Local Cloud infrastructure to include creation of thousands of New Jobs and drive foreign investments.
Speaking at GITEX Africa 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General/CEO of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), emphasized that Africa must transition from merely consuming global technology to actively building and owning its digital foundations.
“In today’s reality, digital is no longer optional; it is a way of life. The cloud is the oxygen that sustains that life. The question is: who controls that oxygen?” Inuwa declared.
His address highlights mounting concerns among African Policymakers about the continent’s limited sovereignty over critical Digital infrastructure. This comes as internet usage, data generation, mobile internet adoption, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications surge across the region.
Africa, home to nearly 20% of the world’s population, possesses only about 0.6% of global data centre capacity, according to recent industry reports. Active capacity stands at roughly 360 MW, with additional projects under construction and planned, yet the continent’s share of worldwide infrastructure remains minimal.
This imbalance exposes African countries to significant risks, including data security vulnerabilities, economic leakage through payments to overseas providers, and reduced influence in the global digital economy. As data increasingly becomes a strategic asset comparable to oil or minerals, reliance on foreign-owned cloud platforms leaves nations susceptible to external policy changes, regulatory shifts, and geopolitical pressures.
“This is not just a technology gap; it is a sovereignty gap. We are generating vast amounts of data from our citizens, businesses, and governments, but we lack control over how and where that data is stored, processed, or monetized,” Inuwa warned.
Proposed “Cloud of Clouds” Model:
To counter these challenges, Inuwa advocated for a “cloud of clouds” a federated, interoperable network that connects national and regional cloud platforms. This model would enable countries to maintain sovereignty over sensitive data while leveraging shared resources, economies of scale, and seamless cross-border collaboration.
Inuwa cited Europe’s Gaia-X initiative that promotes transparent, federated data infrastructure with strong emphasis on interoperability, security, and user control, avoiding vendor lock-in. However, Inuwa noted that Africa must customize such a framework to fit its diverse regulatory environments, infrastructure constraints, economic realities, and development priorities.
“No single country in Africa can achieve this alone. We must collaborate to build shared infrastructure that benefits the entire continent,” he stressed.
This vision aligns with Nigeria’s ongoing National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI) and broader National Cloud Policy efforts, which emphasize a “Cloud First” approach, data classification frameworks, and governance structures to enhance national security and economic resilience.
Africa’s Untapped Potential and Challenges
With one of the world’s youngest populations, rapidly rising internet penetration (mobile internet users now exceeding 400 million), a booming startup ecosystem, and increasing adoption of technologies like 5G, IoT, and AI, Africa is well-positioned to leapfrog outdated systems and construct next-generation digital infrastructure.
The African hyperscale data centre market is projected to grow significantly from around $6.7 billion in 2025 toward $28 billion by 2030 driven by enterprise demand, cloud adoption, and digital transformation initiatives.
Yet, without coordinated investments in power, connectivity, skills development, and harmonized regulations across borders, the continent risks remaining peripheral in the global digital economy, missing out on the full benefits of its data and innovation potential.
The Need For More Investment in African Digital Infrastructure
At recent AfCFTA events, official including representatives from the secretariat highlighted the infrastructure gap. “Current estimates suggest Africa needs around 700 data centres to meet demand and fully participate in the global digital economy,” noted discussions at the 2025 forum.This figure, originally flagged in reports from the Africa Data Centres Association, is now central to AfCFTA’s digital strategy.
African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA Secretary-General Mr. Wamkele Mene said on Tuesday that “Africa will need more than 700 data centres to support the digital trade architecture envisioned under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
This comes on the back of Africa’s rising Digital economy which is projected to reach $712 Billion by 2035. But without the physical backbone and reliable, high-capacity data centres, this remains a Dream rather than a Reality.
Currently, most African data is hosted abroad, hindering the digital economy, while demand for local capacity grows at 30% annually. Key drivers include the rise of AI, fintech, and the need to comply with local data protection regulations.
Today, Africa has about 220 data centres, representing roughly 1% of global commercial data centre capacity, according to the Africa Data Centres Association this is a worrying shortfall increasingly viewed by policymakers and investors as a key bottleneck to digital trade expansion in Africa.
“Digital sovereignty is not a technical ambition; it is a strategic necessity,” Inuwa Abdullahi concluded.
His call at GITEX Africa 2026 reflects a growing continental momentum toward digital self-determination, as African governments seek to balance technological advancement with strategic autonomy in an era where data and computing power increasingly define economic and geopolitical influence.
Key Drivers and Needs Backing Demand for African Cloud and Data Centres:
Acceleration of AI start-ups requiring Cloud and Digital Infrastructure: Africa’s AI start-up scene is growing steadily, with increased funding and support from global players such as Alphabet and Meta supporting AI initiatives aimed at addressing local issues including Start-Up Accelerator programs rolling out cohorts in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. Other examples include South Africa’s DataProphet, Nigeria’s RxAll, and Aerobotics, an agtech company leveraging AI for image recognition and data analysis.
Improved Performance (Lower Latency): Hosting data locally significantly increases speed and efficiency for users, which is essential for cloud services, streaming, and financial services.
Data Sovereignty and Security: Local data centres keep African data within the continent, allowing nations to control their own data and reduce reliance on foreign-owned infrastructure, which can be vulnerable to external policy shifts.
Rapid Digital Growth and AI Demand: Africa’s rising Youth population has witnessed increased internet penetration, and the need for robust AI-ready infrastructure necessitate local, high-density data centres.
Economic Opportunity: Investing in African Data infrastructure is a key strategic move for economic Diversification, creating new jobs and attracting foreign investment.
Supply-Demand Gap: Currently, Africa holds only about 0.6% of global data centre capacity, despite having nearly 19% of the world’s population. With this, Demand for critical IT capacity is growing at 30% annually, far outpacing supply.
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