President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially declared data as Nigeria’s “new oil,” cementing data governance, digital public infrastructure, and data localization as the core pillars of the nation’s economic renaissance.
Through Circular No. 59805/S.I/74, issued from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and signed by Senator George Akume, the Federal Government mandated all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to strictly comply with the Nigeria Data Protection (NDP) Act of 2023.
The presidential directive enforces compulsory data localization, requiring public data assets to be captured, safeguarded within local data centers, and responsibly shared to drive governance efficiency and attract foreign investment.
”Data is the new oil: its value increases the more it is refined and responsibly shared. We must let our data speak for us by publishing verified data assets locally and sharing them globally to strengthen Nigeria’s standing on the world stage.” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated.
The declaration was highlighted during the 2025 International Civil Service Conference held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja. Attended by members of the Federal Executive Council, members of the diplomatic corps, civil service administrators, and technology industry leaders, the event marked a pivotal turning point in shifting Nigeria’s economic reliance away from fossil fuels toward a data-driven digital economy.
The President emphasized that unlike finite crude oil reserves, data represents an appreciating asset that gains value through processing, analytics, and responsible public deployment. The new circular instructs public officials to treat data as a national security asset, enforcing strict measures against unauthorized overseas transfers without regulatory compliance.
Alongside the presidential directive, state-owned digital services provider Galaxy Backbone announced the deployment of its 1Government Cloud Academy to transition Nigeria’s civil service into a paperless administration.
Speaking during a panel session at the summit, Mr. Wumi Oghoetuoma, Programme Director of the 1Government Cloud initiative at Galaxy Backbone, underscored that tech infrastructure must be matched with cultural and operational adoption across government bodies:
“Digital transformation hinges on people, processes, and technology,” Oghoetuoma stated. “Most civil servants are already proficient with smartphones and social media. What is required is mindset alignment, structured support, and internal trust.”
The academy offers certification courses for public-sector IT personnel to eliminate communication breakdowns between administrative departments and technology units.
Critical citizen data will be hosted exclusively across secure, sovereign in-country data centers to protect privacy and support national cybersecurity.
The reform agenda drew commendations from international observers present at the Abuja summit. British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, described the administration’s strategic pivot to digital public infrastructure as “a bold and necessary step toward sustainable long-term economic development.”
With the SGF circular now in effect across all federal institutions, the government expects the data-first approach to improve non-oil revenue collection, streamline tax administration, prevent digital leakages, and build an equitable digital ecosystem across Africa’s largest economy.
