Starting October 2026, Nigeria will launch a national register of certified cloud infrastructure providers under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). This new initiative mandates that banks, fintechs, and government agencies use only certified providers for critical digital workloads. The policy aligns with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s January 2027 deadline for full local data residency for payment transactions. The framework applies uniform technical standards to both local and international providers, aiming to secure sensitive data and shift digital infrastructure investment domestically.