The National Information Technology Development Agency has called for a risk-based approach to digital sovereignty, saying the concept should not be determined solely by where data is stored or who controls it. NITDA made the position known at the third edition of the Hyperscaler Convergence Africa 2026, held in Lagos……
The National Information Technology Development Agency has called for a risk-based approach to digital sovereignty, saying the concept should not be determined solely by where data is stored or who controls it.
NITDA made the position known at the third edition of the Hyperscaler Convergence Africa 2026, held in Lagos under the theme, “Africa’s Great Digital Buildout.”
Representing the agency’s Director-General at a panel session titled “Governing the Digital Continent,” the Director of Stakeholders Management and Partnerships, Dr Aristotle Onumo, said Nigeria’s approach to digital sovereignty should be based on the classification and risk profile of data.
He said digital sovereignty could have different meanings across jurisdictions but argued that Nigeria needed to determine the appropriate level of sovereignty required for different categories of data.
“It’s not about location versus control. It’s about defining, understanding and applying appropriate risk-based classification in terms of sovereignty,” Onumo said.
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According to him, sovereignty should not be treated as a blanket requirement for every type of data, as the level of control required should depend on the sensitivity, criticality and potential risks associated with the information.
He explained that highly sensitive and security-related data and infrastructure could require stronger sovereignty measures, while lower-risk data could benefit from collaboration, judicial cooperation, co-location arrangements and assurance mechanisms.
Onumo also noted that personal data was already subject to existing laws and regulatory institutions responsible for its protection and management.
He stressed the importance of data classification in safeguarding critical information and infrastructure, particularly information whose disruption could affect essential national and public services.
Using medical data as an example, the NITDA representative warned that disruptions to critical connectivity infrastructure, including fibre and undersea cables, could have serious consequences when essential data is hosted outside Nigeria.
He therefore said classification was essential in determining areas where stronger sovereignty measures were necessary and those where collaborative arrangements could be adopted.
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For lower-risk data, Onumo said digital sovereignty did not necessarily mean direct government control or mandatory localisation.
He said contractual obligations, quality assurance mechanisms and relevant standards could instead be used to establish trust, interoperability, coordination and accountability.
The NITDA official also stressed that digital sovereignty was a shared responsibility involving service providers, consumers, regulators and other stakeholders.
According to him, each stakeholder must identify and address risks within its area of responsibility.
He reiterated that Nigeria’s approach to digital sovereignty was anchored on “risk, data classification, assurance, interoperability and accountability.”
Speaking at the event, the convener, Temitope Osunrinde, called for stronger collaboration between governments and the private sector to accelerate sustainable digital transformation across Africa.
Osunrinde said African countries were making progress but needed to move towards greater collaboration and more strategic investment in digital infrastructure.
He said, “African countries are working hard. But it’s time for us to work smarter and work together.”
According to him, the long-term success of Africa’s digital economy would depend significantly on infrastructure decisions being made today.
“The long term choices and the long term success of Africa’s digital economy will depend on the infrastructure choices that we make today,” he said.
Osunrinde identified reliable electricity, resilient connectivity, secure data centres, affordable cloud and connectivity services, enabling regulation, skilled talent and patient capital as critical requirements for the continent’s digital transformation.
He, however, identified collaboration as the most important requirement, stressing that no single government, institution or organisation could deliver Africa’s digital infrastructure needs alone.
“No single institution, government, or entity can deliver this infrastructure alone,” he said.
Osunrinde said governments needed the private sector to deliver infrastructure at scale, while infrastructure providers required financing to expand their operations.
He added that investors needed predictable regulations and credible demand, while businesses required reliable and affordable digital services.
He also called for stronger regional and continental coordination to support the development of Africa’s digital economy.
