…says over 90% of Nigeria’s data is hosted abroad, urges investment in local digital infrastructure
By Gloria Ikibah 
Qf it continues to depend on foreign infrastructure for storing and processing its data.
Oyedele said the country must take deliberate steps to harness the economic value of its expanding digital sector rather than allow critical data resources to remain largely outside its borders.
The minister gave the warning on Wednesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, while delivering a convocation lecture titled “Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation” at the University of Uyo.
He recalled that Nigeria’s dependence on exporting crude oil and importing refined petroleum products had deprived the country of substantial domestic value, expertise and employment opportunities.
According to him, the country must avoid allowing a similar pattern to emerge in the digital economy.
Oyedele said the scale of Nigeria’s digital opportunity was already evident, citing Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) figures showing that the country had more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
However, he noted that an estimate by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission indicated that more than 90 per cent of Nigeria’s data was hosted abroad.
The minister said the dependence on foreign data infrastructure came at a considerable economic cost, including foreign exchange outflows for offshore hosting and processing, lost opportunities for local businesses and professionals, and exposure of Nigerian data to foreign laws and jurisdictions.
He explained that digital sovereignty meant a country’s ability to determine, under its own laws, how its data was collected, stored, accessed and utilised.
Oyedele clarified that the concept did not mean isolating Nigeria from the global digital economy, but ensuring that its participation served national interests.
To reverse the trend, he called for deliberate investment in domestic digital infrastructure, stronger regulatory institutions and the development of local expertise and businesses capable of converting data into valuable products and services within Nigeria.
Addressing the growing influence of artificial intelligence, Oyedele said emerging technologies were reshaping employment opportunities and the skills required in the modern economy.
He urged graduates to embrace AI and other technologies while retaining their independent judgement, critical thinking, creativity, empathy and integrity.
The minister also cautioned young Nigerians against careless conduct in the digital space, noting that their online footprints increasingly shaped their personal and professional identities.
He said their posts, comments and reactions can influence how employers, institutions and society perceived them.
Oyedele advised graduates to disagree respectfully, challenge ideas rather than attack individuals, and recognise that online attention did not necessarily translate into respect, popularity into credibility or virality into value creation.
He further warned that artificial intelligence could amplify misinformation, impersonation and dishonesty, making ethical conduct and public trust increasingly important.
The minister also challenged Nigerian universities to move beyond the traditional award of certificates and position themselves as centres of innovation, entrepreneurship, ethical leadership and practical problem-solving.
He argued that the relevance of higher institutions should be measured not only by the number of graduates they produced, but also by the problems their graduates solved, the businesses they established and the contributions they made to their communities.
Oyedele identified agriculture, energy, healthcare, marine resources, environmental management and digital services as sectors offering significant opportunities for innovation and enterprise.
He urged universities to equip students with the practical knowledge and skills required to develop solutions in these areas.
The minister outlined five responsibilities for graduating students: lifelong learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in nation-building.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s digital future will depend not only on technology and infrastructure, but also on the values, choices and capabilities of the people shaping its development.
Oyedele challenged the graduates to see themselves as active contributors to the country’s future, drawing on the words of management thinker Peter Drucker.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it,” he said.
