African regulators, operators, policymakers, and enterprise executives gathered in Lagos for the Africa Data Sovereignty Conference, a landmark summit dedicated to charting the future of data localisation, infrastructure readiness, and digital trust across the continent.
The event, hosted by Olla Systems, a leading cloud and IT infrastructure provider, with Africa Hyperscalers, a digital infrastructure intelligence platform, as strategic partners, brought together more than 300 decision-makers from enterprises, startups, government agencies, and regulatory bodies.
The conference came at a defining moment as several African countries – including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana – advance new data domiciliation mandates requiring sensitive information from banks, telecom operators, public agencies, and private enterprises to be stored within national borders. Advocates argue the shift is vital to strengthen sovereignty, drive innovation, and reduce reliance on foreign providers.
The call for urgency
In her keynote, Olusola Adenuga, Chief Executive Officer of Olla Systems and conference convener, warned of Africa’s heavy reliance on foreign jurisdictions for data hosting.
“Today, only 20% of Africa’s data is hosted on the continent, while more than 80% resides in foreign data centres governed by laws we cannot control,” Adenuga said. “The implications are clear: we are vulnerable to legal disputes, losing huge economic value, and exposing ourselves to national security risks. To change this narrative, we must urgently prioritise four things – policies, people, infrastructure, and collaboration,” she stressed.
Adenuga outlined Olla Systems’ role in supporting sovereignty efforts by helping regulated institutions migrate to Nigeria-hosted cloud solutions that comply with local regulations. “This summit is not just about conversations, it is about action,” she added.
In his keynote, Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), emphasized that data is Africa’s most valuable resource. He urged the continent, as the next frontier of growth, to own and control its data by formulating strong policies, building robust infrastructure, and developing the skills needed to safeguard and harness it.
In the presentation, Dr. Ayodele Bakare, Deputy Director of the Cybersecurity Department of NITDA, described data as the “new power of the 21st century.” He stressed that sovereignty without localisation is incomplete. “No matter the agreements you sign with foreign hyperscalers, when the chips are down, they will always side with their home governments. For Africa to guarantee real sovereignty, we must localise our data,” Bakare warned.
Policy and legal perspectives
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), represented by Ibukunoluwa Owa, Head, Regulations, emphasized the role of Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 2023 and the 2025 General Application and Regional Directive.
“These frameworks establish governance, trust, and security of data. Over the next five years, our focus is on five pillars: governance, trust, capacity-building, compliance, and innovation – aligned with national priorities,” Owa said.
From Ghana, Maxwell Ababio, Head of Technology and Ethics at the Data Protection Commission, Ghana, highlighted the need for regional alignment.
“We have 54 countries, each with its own rules, but startups want to scale across borders. Are we building Africa as a single bloc or as 54 fragmented sovereignties?” he asked. He called for a continental cloud infrastructure readiness assessment, similar to UNESCO’s AI readiness framework, and emphasized reliable energy as a critical foundation.
“Kenya has embarked on building a digital superhighway, laying hundreds of thousands of kilometers of infrastructure to prepare for cloud, automation, and the next wave of innovation,” said Edmond Wandera, Principal Officer at the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Kenya. “But infrastructure alone is not enough. We must leverage partnerships, build capacity, and prioritize knowledge transfer if we are to unlock the full potential of our digital future.”
Speakers drew parallels between traditional and digital sovereignty.
“In the past, sovereignty meant protecting physical borders. Today, it is about protecting digital borders. Without local hosting, we leave our borders open for exploitation,” they agreed. Other speakers include Olaniyi Yusuf, Managing Partner, Verraki; LwanyagaPhilemon, Cybersecurity Officer, Uganda’s Data Protection Office; Raheema Olawuyi, Founder, Data Privacy Club; Eniola Arausi, Head of Operations and Shared Services, Olla Systems; Oyeniyi Emmanuel, Vice President, Regulatory and Compliance, Terragon Group; Kimbugwe Mahad, Compliance Lawyer, Uganda’s Data Protection Office; Uche Okugo, Managing Director, FastClaim; and Yolanda Mambouzhi, CEO, Zoe Projects and Consulting, South Africa. Other speakers were Dr. Chidozie Nsoedo, Lecturer, Lagos Business School; Olamide Ojumu, Head of Corporate Services, Olla Systems; and Gabriel Ohiare, Head of Sales, Open Access Data Centres.
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