"Digital Sovereignty": NCC Explains Why Nigeria Needs to Support, Invest More in Data Centres
- The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umaru Danbatta, has highlighted the importance of supporting data centre services
- During the Telecoms Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF) 4.0 in Lagos, Nigeria, the NCC boss said data centres are essential for economic growth and the digital economy
- Danbatta also mentioned the significant investment potential in data centres, particularly within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which could tap into an estimated $1.2 trillion opportunity
Lagos, Nigeria - The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has said the country must sharpen its focus on broadband development and increase its support for data centre services to boost digital sovereignty.
Prof. Umaru Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, said this on Thursday, October 5, during the Telecoms Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF) 4.0 organised by Business Remarks in Lagos.
Source: Twitter
The theme of the event which was attended by Legit.ng was: “Mainstreaming Data Centres in the Nigerian Digital Economy.”
Data centres investment: Collective efforts required, says Danbatta
Danbatta, represented by Dr Sunday Atu, the Head of Tariff Administration at the NCC, said mainstreaming data centres required collective efforts.
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The NCC boss stressed the importance of supporting data centres to ensure they uphold national digital sovereignty and prioritise content that aligns with the country's cultural norms, context, and ideological values.
He also noted that data is widely regarded as the new global commodity, gaining significant importance in the context of the growing digital economy.
Because of this, Danbatta explained that governments now pay extra attention to data, and they need the right structures and frameworks to make the most of the opportunities it offers in this new era.
Data centres: How Africa is attracting global players
Danbatta pointed out that data centre services are really important for the new ideas in the ICT sector and for the overall economies of many nations.
His words:
“Recent developments point to the limitless treasure within this space. Africa has recently assumed a new frontier and compelling destination for global big tech players.
“Tech giants, like Google with its Equiano subsea fibre cable spanning 15,000 km from Portugal to South Africa and strategic landing points in Nigeria and Namibia, are expected to increase connectivity more than five-fold within Nigeria while creating an expected 1.6 million jobs.
“Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is equally on the threshold of launching its own subsea cable called 2Africa in 2024 to connect 16 African countries at an estimated cost of 1 billion dollars.
“It is targeted to generate close to 36 billion dollars of economic output within two to three years of operation.
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“While these, no doubt, portend significant socio-economic impacts for Nigeria, they bring to the fore the debate around digital sovereignty and the need for national policy and regulatory frameworks to further localise traffic and data."
Nigeria in position to attract investments in data centres - Danbatta
Speaking further, Danbatta said the global data centre market is worth billions of dollars, noting that Nigeria is well-positioned to attract a fair share of this investment.
The NCC boss said Nigeria will attract more investment in data centre services and operations by providing a reliable and secure environment for the services they offer within a well-nurtured policy and regulatory framework,
“With the commencement of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the role and critical nature of data centres become increasing overwhelming.
“This is underscored by the kind of efficiency derivable when critical resources are shared at costs far significantly smaller than the actual costs of setting up such resources from scratch,” he said.
The NCC boss explained that this would create a solid foundation for businesses and government organizations to boost productivity and make the most of the opportunities stemming from the estimated $1.2 trillion potential within the AfCFTA block, through the continent's 1.3 billion population.
Data centres play huge role - Bukola Olanrewaju
Meanwhile, Bukola Olanrewaju, the managing editor of Business Remarks, the convener of the event, emphasised the crucial role data centres play in the digital age.
She explained that beyond just storing and providing access to data, they are the foundation of the digital world, driving economic growth, environmental sustainability, and data security.
Olanrewaju pointed out that currently, there are only 86 colocation data centres in 15 African countries, with the majority located in the four largest African countries, which are South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya.
She also cited Allied Market Research, stating that the global data centre market was valued at $187.35 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $517.17 billion by 2030.
According to Olanrewaju, data centres, along with the expansion of fibre optic broadband and telecom towers, are set to become the primary infrastructure supporting Africa's economic growth.
AFIGF 2023: NCC boss advocates AI Integration in Africa
In another report, the NCC boss, Danbatta, said there is a need for Africa to harness the benefits of Artificial intelligence (AI).
He spoke at the 2023 Africa Internet Governance Forum (AFIGF).
According to Danbatta, it is essential for Nigeria and the entire continent of Africa to transition into a new age of building refined digital economic growth.
Source: Legit.ng
