By Paul Chimodo
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called for greater digital independence in Africa, warning against continued reliance on foreign infrastructure for artificial intelligence, data storage and cloud computing.
Inuwa made the call at GITEX Nigeria, where he stressed the need for Nigeria and other African countries to take greater control of their digital infrastructure and data.
The NITDA boss said Africa must move beyond being a consumer of global technology and begin building systems capable of supporting its own artificial intelligence and digital economy.
He warned that excessive dependence on foreign cloud providers could leave African countries vulnerable to data-security risks and long-term digital dependence.
Inuwa advocated increased investment in local data centres, cloud infrastructure and computing capacity, saying stronger domestic infrastructure would help Nigeria protect its data while creating opportunities for innovation and economic growth.
He also highlighted the importance of developing local talent and creating policies that encourage private-sector investment in AI and digital infrastructure.
The NITDA Director-General said Nigeria’s push for digital sovereignty was essential to ensuring that the country benefits economically from the growing global AI revolution.
Paul Chimodo, reporting.
