The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the International Data Centre Authority (IDCA) to accelerate Nigeria’s transition into a fully integrated digital economy through a large-scale national digital infrastructure programme.

NITDA announced the partnership in a joint statement signed by the Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department, Hadiza Umar, and the IDCA’s Global Head of Strategic Services, Head of Europe and Africa, Solomon Edun, on Wednesday.

The partnership is in line with the Nigerian Sovereign Cloud (NSC) initiative, which aims to establish an execution-led, investment-driven framework for infrastructure deployment.

The NSC initiative also aims to achieve regulatory standards and workforce development into a unified national platform designed to mobilise both public and private capital and accelerate long-term economic value creation.

Integrated pillars

According to NITDA, at the centre of the programme is the ‘Nigeria Digital Triangle (NDT)’, a network of strategically located hyperscale, AI-enabled data centre clusters intended to anchor investment, host global cloud and enterprise workloads, and serve as the backbone for Nigeria’s emerging digital economy.

According to the partners, the initiative will be built around four integrated pillars: a national digital economy masterplan with clearly defined milestones; hyperscale infrastructure development through interconnected digital hubs; national digital standards aligned with international best practices; and a structured education and workforce development system aimed at sustaining long-term capability building.

Speaking on the partnership, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, described the initiative as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s economic and digital transformation.

“This initiative represents a defining moment in Nigeria’s economic transformation, reaffirming the government’s commitment to advancing the Digital Economy and Data Sovereignty Agenda.

“By working with the leading experts of IDCA and members of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative Technical Working Group as the most advanced and credible think tank, prioritizing digital infrastructure, talent development, data sovereignty, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship, Nigeria is laying a strong foundation for sustainable infrastructure growth, job creation, global competitiveness, and innovation-driven, inclusive development,” the NITDA boss, Mr Inuwa said.

On his part, the Chairman of IDCA, Mehdi Paryavi, noted that Nigeria’s economic position and growth potential will make the initiative strategically important for the continent.

“Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and has the potential to become larger and more impactful to the lives of the people of Africa and beyond.

“This is more than a national initiative; it is a platform for long-term economic value creation. By integrating digital infrastructure, standards, and talent, bundled with investments and the right policymaking.

“Nigeria is building a competitive advantage in the global digital economy,” the data centre authority chairman said, emphasising Nigeria’s digital role on the continent.

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Execution

The Chief Research Officer at IDCA, Roger Strukhoff, said the programme positions Nigeria to become a regional technology leader. According to him, the initiative is a structured, investment-ready approach that aligns strategy with execution and global best practices.

“Nigeria is taking a decisive step toward becoming a regional digital powerhouse. IDCA is pleased to be fundamental to this historic economic evolution,” he said.

Solomon Edun, global head of strategic services and head of Europe and Africa, stated that the IDCA and Nigeria have worked for years to reach the point of digital economy transformation and partnership.

He added that the partnership will enable a scalable, sustainable digital ecosystem by focusing on infrastructure deployment.

“This is a historic moment, and the program is designed to translate vision into measurable outcomes. By focusing on infrastructure deployment, investment attraction, and skills development, we are enabling a scalable and sustainable digital ecosystem,” he said.

NITDA’s Acting Director, Regulation and Compliance, Emmanuel Edet, highlighted the importance of standards and governance in supporting the project.

According to him, the development of nationally endorsed standards, implemented in parallel with enabling physical infrastructure, is fundamental to ensuring regulatory consistency, data security, and long-term sustainability.

“This collaborative initiative between Nigeria and the International Data Centre Authority establishes the requisite technical benchmarks and strategic governance framework to support effectively,” Mr Edet added.

The initiative will be implemented over three years with defined milestones and structured engagement across government, private sector, and international partners.

The partnership reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging digital infrastructure to drive economic diversification, innovation, and global integration.