FG Targets $750m Private Investment For Cloud Infrastructure – SGF
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to target $750 million in private sector investment for local cloud and data infrastructure over the next 24 months, alongside the rollout of a nationwide 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, made this disclosure on Monday at the GITEX 2026 Government Leadership & AI Summit held in Abuja.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office, Bekearedebo Warrens, Akume emphasised that the initiatives form part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strategy to move Nigeria from a technology consumer to a global exporter of digital solutions.
He said, “The newly unveiled National Digital Cloud Policy targets an ambitious $750 million in private investment in Nigeria’s cloud and data infrastructure within 24 months. This policy will position Nigeria as a competitive location for cloud and data services, not just for ourselves, but for the wider West African and African markets.
“Gitex Nigeria returns at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. The theme for this year’s conference, ‘Beyond Connectivity: The Bridge to Sovereign AI and Innovation,’ captures the very essence of where Nigeria is headed—not merely as a consumer of technology, but as a builder, producer, and exporter of digital solutions and artificial intelligence.”
Speaking on national broadband coverage and last-mile connectivity, the SGF noted that the government is undertaking one of the most ambitious digital infrastructure projects in the country’s history.
“Under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, we are set to commence the rollout of a 90,000 km fibre optic network that will reach every state, local government, and ward in the country. This is complemented by the deployment of approximately 3,700 telecommunications towers to connect over 20 million Nigerians in underserved communities.”
On policy, human capacity, and legal reforms, Akume highlighted the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative and recent legal frameworks designed to guarantee data sovereignty.
He said, “President Tinubu’s swift assent to the NIMC Act 2026 has transformed the National Identity Management Commission from a data-based management agency into Nigeria’s foundational digital authority. This new law provides a robust legal framework for identity management, reinforcing our pursuit of data sovereignty.
“Since its inception, the 3MTT programme has recorded 1.87 million registrations across all 774 local government areas, with over 125,000 Nigerians trained in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and software engineering. We are building a generation equipped to transform us from a nation of consumers to a nation of creators.”
Akume also reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting Galaxy Backbone Limited as the main operational agency tasked with driving federal telecommunications and protecting national digital assets.
He urged global investors, innovators, and private sector stakeholders attending GITEX 2026 to form concrete partnerships to help Africa capture its projected $1 trillion AI-driven market by 2035.
Corroborating the government’s stance on technological independence, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, emphasised the urgent need for Nigeria to achieve sovereign control over its artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Warning against over-reliance on foreign-developed algorithms, Abdullahi described AI as critical national infrastructure rather than a mere technological tool.
”To me, AI is not just another piece of technology. It is a strategic infrastructure that can help nations accelerate growth. A tool that can help us build intelligence about our economy, our citizens, our security, our everything is not something we can play with. So we need to start thinking about how we can put the AI we are building under our sovereign control.
“We cannot rely on AI built in other jurisdictions; we need to own our own AI. We used to say AI is biased, but AI is not biased—it is the data we train the AI with that is biased. So if we really need an AI that will serve us, we need to train the AI with our data,” he said.
