The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has entered into a strategic partnership with the International Data Center Authority (IDCA) to launch the Nigeria Digital Triangle (NDT) initiative, a major digital infrastructure programme aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s digital economy and strengthening data sovereignty.
The partnership is part of the Nigerian Sovereign Cloud initiative and is expected to bring together public and private sector investments, regulatory systems, digital infrastructure, and workforce development into a coordinated national framework designed to support long-term economic growth.
According to the statement jointly signed by NITDA and IDCA, the Nigeria Digital Triangle initiative will focus on building strategically located hyperscale, AI-enabled data centre clusters across the country. The infrastructure is expected to support enterprise workloads, attract global cloud providers, and serve as the backbone for Nigeria’s emerging digital economy ecosystem.
The programme will operate around four major pillars, including the development of a national digital economy masterplan with measurable milestones, deployment of interconnected digital infrastructure hubs, establishment of national digital standards aligned with global best practices, and creation of a structured education and workforce development system to support long-term digital capacity building.
Speaking on the partnership, Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, described the initiative as a major step in Nigeria’s economic transformation and digital future.
“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,” Inuwa said.
He added that the collaboration with IDCA and members of the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative Technical Working Group would help Nigeria strengthen digital infrastructure, talent development, artificial intelligence adoption, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
“By prioritising 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,” he stated.
Chairman of IDCA, Mehdi Paryavi, said Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest economy gives it the potential to become a leading force in the continent’s digital transformation.
“This is more than a national initiative — it is a platform for long-term economic value creation,” Paryavi said.
“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,” he added.
Chief Research Officer at IDCA, Roger Strukhoff, noted that the initiative places Nigeria on the path toward becoming a regional digital powerhouse.
“This is a structured, investment-ready approach that aligns strategy with execution and global best practices,” Strukhoff stated.
Also commenting on the development, Global Head of Strategic Services and Head of Europe & Africa at IDCA, Solomon Edun, said the programme was designed to convert digital transformation goals into measurable outcomes through infrastructure deployment, investment attraction, and digital skills development.
According to him, the initiative would help build a scalable and sustainable digital ecosystem capable of supporting Nigeria’s long-term economic ambitions.
Acting Director of Regulations and Compliance, Emmanuel Edet, stressed the importance of nationally endorsed standards and governance frameworks in ensuring data security, regulatory consistency, and sustainability within Nigeria’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.
He said the partnership between Nigeria and IDCA would help establish the technical benchmarks and governance structure required for effective implementation of the programme.
NITDA disclosed that the Nigeria Digital Triangle initiative would be implemented over a three-year period with clearly defined milestones and coordinated engagement involving government institutions, private sector stakeholders, and international partners.
The agency noted that the partnership further strengthens Nigeria’s commitment to using digital infrastructure as a key driver of economic diversification, innovation, investment attraction, and global integration.
