Mallam Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has said that strategic partnership between government and stakeholders in the cloud hosting services is what the country needs, if we are to achieve 30% growth in local cloud hosting by 2024.
L-R: Mrs Olaitan Victor, National Secretary of ITAN, Chike Onwuegbuchi, Chairman of NITRA, Mrs Chioma Okee-Aguguo,representative of DG of NITDA and Head of South West Zonal Office and Mr. Muhammed Rudman, Chief Executive Officer, Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) during the unveiling of NITRA’s ‘Technology ECHO’ magazine at the Technology Forum held recently in Lagos.
He made this disclosure while delivering a keynote address at the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), Technology Forum held in Lagos.
Mallam Abdullahi, who was represented by Mrs Chioma Okee-Aguguo, Head of South West Zonal Office, said that it’s only strategic partnership with stakeholders, will enhance efficient and cheap cloud hosting in Nigeria.
The DG stated that the agency is always willing to work with stakeholders to create enabling environment for cloud services to thrive in the country.
He further explained that the agency is committed to securing data of Nigerians both cooperate and individual, in line with its constitutional mandate of regulating and developing the IT sector in Nigeria.
He added that Cloud hosting provides the opportunities for 100% resource utilization as resources are evenly distributed over several server and cost control due to elasticity of services where pricing depends on services consumption.
Providing further insight on how we can maximize the omnibus potentials of Cloud services in the country, he reeled out other benefits that cloud computing offer such as Infrastructure as a service, Platform as a service, Software as a service, while stressing that hosting service is the common cloud computing services.
“As we may all be aware that data is a major factor of production but for data to be a source of wealth, it needs to be secured. Not only its security but also its sovereignty.
“The role of the Government is to enable the environment for private and corporate bodies to invest in local hosting services, the building of more data centres.
“There has been a considerable increase in the number of cloud services providers in Nigeria”.
He applauded the initiative of NITRA for organising the Technology Forum adding that “we expect more of this kind of activities and we are always willing to collaborate with stakeholders we are always willing to work with stakeholders to address their pain point to make sure we create enabling environment for cloud services to thrive in Nigeria.
He said with strategic partnership and collaboration, “our combined effort will enhance efficient and cheap cloud hosting in Nigeria to serve, therefore, as a model for other African countries to adopt.”
