US Backs Nigeria’s Digital Growth, Eyes AI-Ready Data Centres
By Stella Enenche, Abuja
The United States has expressed support for the development of advanced data centres in Nigeria to meet growing demand for cloud computing, data storage and artificial intelligence services.
The US Chargé d’Affaires, Jimmy Mauldin, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE), organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja.
Mauldin said the US had supported a feasibility study by the US Trade and Development Agency for the development of super-intelligence-ready data centres in Nigeria.
He said the investment would create jobs, attract capital and strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure.
“Nigeria’s digital economy is growing rapidly. So is demand for cloud services, computing, data storage, and the infrastructure that will support super intelligence. So yes, Nigeria needs more data centres,” he said.
He added that the initiative reflected Washington’s confidence in Nigeria’s digital future.
“The United States is proud to be a partner in that effort. We want to see Nigeria succeed. We want to see Nigerian innovators thrive. We want to see digital technologies create jobs, expand opportunities, and drive economic growth,” Mauldin said.
He noted that countries making significant technological advances were those willing to invest in future opportunities, adding that Nigeria had demonstrated such ambition.
Also speaking, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, represented by the Commander, Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Mustapha, described digital security as a national priority amid rising cyber threats.
“In today’s security environment, where things are increasingly driven by cyber attacks, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, securing the digital space is not just a digital aspiration, but a core national imperative,” he said.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, represented by the Director of Special Duties, Dr Aristotle Onumo, said the digital economy had become central to Nigeria’s economic growth.
“Digital economy is no longer a sector in Nigeria’s economy. It is Nigeria’s economy,” he said.
Onumo disclosed that telecommunications and information services contributed more than N5.2tn to the country’s Gross Domestic Product in the second quarter of 2026, growing at more than twice the rate of the broader economy.
He said the conference was designed to translate discussions and ideas into practical
outcomes.
“We are here not to predict Nigeria’s digital future. We are here to invent it,” he said, lamenting that previous conferences had produced brilliant discussions but limited implementation.
