Africa’s digital infrastructure investment landscape could become easier for businesses to navigate as Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) pushes for greater regulatory alignment. NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi says a unified approach could reduce delays, simplify licensing and create more predictable conditions for investors across the continent.
Regulatory Interface
Speaking at the ITW Data Cloud Africa 2026 regulatory roundtable, titled “Regulations that Build: Aligning Policy and Digital Infrastructure Investment Priorities,” Inuwa said investors should not have to deal with several government agencies for overlapping regulatory requirements. He called for agencies to coordinate around a single regulatory interface that would reduce duplication and speed up approvals.
According to Inuwa, governments need to operate as one coordinated system rather than as separate institutions with competing or overlapping mandates. A clearer process, he said, would give both foreign and domestic businesses greater certainty when entering African markets and investing in digital infrastructure.
Horizontal Regulation
The NITDA chief also said the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and high-density data centres has exposed the limits of traditional sector-by-sector regulation. He explained that NITDA is moving toward a horizontal regulatory framework built around broad standards that individual sector regulators can use for their specific industries.
Inuwa cited Nigeria’s National Sovereign Cloud Initiative as an example of this approach. He said the Central Bank of Nigeria used NITDA’s framework to issue a single circular for the financial sector, allowing banks to meet digital stability requirements without pursuing separate approvals from several agencies.
Cross-Border Data
Inuwa also called for common standards governing cross-border data transfers across African markets. He said interoperability, trust and security should form the foundation of regional data policies, allowing businesses to move data between countries more efficiently.
He suggested that standardised data classifications could help distinguish sovereign in-country information from public and hybrid cloud assets. If countries recognise one another’s compliance standards, businesses could avoid repeating similar regulatory procedures in every market.
Regulatory Intelligence
Inuwa further rejected the idea that technology regulators primarily view companies as sources of revenue. He said NITDA’s Regulatory Intelligence Framework is designed to support business growth and shape economic activity rather than simply impose financial burdens on operators.
He added that NITDA does not charge businesses for its regulations and instead focuses on developing markets, building local capacity and attracting long-term investment. The approach reflects a broader effort to make regulation more supportive of innovation while maintaining security and accountability.
Digital Investment
The roundtable brought together government, industry and technology representatives, including Caroline Okafor of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Meta’s Mercy Ndegwa and Eng. Dennis Chepkwony of Kenya’s Communications Authority.
Their discussions highlighted the growing importance of regulatory cooperation as Africa expands its digital economy. With demand for cloud services, data centres and AI infrastructure increasing, clearer rules and stronger cooperation between regulators could help make African markets more attractive to long-term digital investment.
