At the 2025 Digital Nigeria Conference, the call from Dr. Vincent Olatunji of the NDPC was clear: stakeholders must unite to unlock the nation’s digital potential. But reading between the lines reveals a more ambitious, urgent mission—Nigeria is executing a digital sovereignty gambit.
This isn’t merely about building a stronger ecosystem. It’s a strategic move to decolonize Nigeria’s digital space.
The focus has shifted from simply participating in the global digital economy to preventing permanent digital colonization by foreign platforms that extract data, revenue, and intellectual capital. The real “vast potential” is not just growth, but control.
From Market to Maker
The world’s Ubers and Amazons were cited not as models to emulate, but as warnings of what happens when local markets are dominated by external forces. The new goal is to create the Ubers and Amazons of Africa, ensuring value and decision-making remain within its borders.
The National Digital Economy Bill is more than legislation; it is a “Digital Constitution”—a foundational framework designed to empower homegrown innovation and provide the security needed for local builders and international investors to thrive.
Unifying for Independence
The challenge of “fragmentation” is being reframed. The true adversary is not internal disagreement, but fragmentation from a unified national strategy. The call for synergy is a move to form a single, powerful front.
Dr. Olatunji’s speech, therefore, was more than a goodwill message. It was a declaration that Nigeria’s tech-savvy youth and its vast market are not just assets to be leveraged, but the very grounds upon which the battle for the 21st century’s most valuable territory—the digital frontier—will be won.
