As Africa’s digital economy hurtles toward a cloud-first future, a new kind of infrastructure challenge is emerging, where data lives, who controls it, and how enterprises comply with fast-evolving national policies.
On September 18, 2025, industry leaders, regulators, and enterprise executives will converge in Lagos for the Africa Data Sovereignty Conference, a high-stakes summit on data localization, infrastructure readiness, and the next frontier of digital trust.
Convened by Olla Systems, a leading provider of cloud and IT infrastructure solutions, in partnership with Africa Hyperscalers, a digital infrastructure intelligence platform, the conference is expected to attract over 300 decision-makers from enterprise organizations, high-growth startups, and government institutions.
It comes at a pivotal time, as countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ghana advance data domiciliation mandates that require regulated institutions to store and process data within national borders.
“Data sovereignty is not just about where data resides; it is also about who controls it, who benefits from it, and how it powers national development,” said Olusola Adenuga, chief executive officer of Olla Systems and conference convener. “Other regions retain over 80% of their data onshore. Africa must break its digital dependence and build sovereign infrastructure that keeps our data, value, and opportunity within the continent.”
Over the past few years, African national regulators such as Nigeria’s Central Bank (CBN) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have rolled out increasingly firm directives aimed at data sovereignty.
Financial institutions, telecom operators, and public sector agencies are under pressure to migrate workloads from global clouds to locally hosted, regulation-compliant platforms.
But for many enterprises, the transition is complex.
“Legacy vendor relationships, downtime fears, and limited awareness of local alternatives have slowed progress,” Mrs. Adenuga continued. “This conference is designed to change that narrative – by showcasing successful migrations, clarifying policy, and demystifying the tech stack that powers sovereign infrastructure.”
Themed “Empowering Enterprises with Secure, In-Country Infrastructure,” the event will feature keynotes and panel sessions exploring the intersection of policy, performance, and trust, raising urgent questions about the risks of offshore dependency in an age of cyber threats and geopolitical volatility.
Confirmed speakers include Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria; Arnold Kavaarpuo, Executive Director, Data Protection Commission, Ghana; Philemon Lwanyaga, Data Protection Affairs Department, Personal Data Protection Office, Uganda; Dr. Ayotunde Coker, Chief Executive Officer, Open Access Data Centres; Lars Johannisson, Chief Executive Officer, Rack Centre, Ibukun Owa, Head, Regulations, Nigeria Data Protection Commission; and Olusola Adenuga, Chief Executive Officer, Olla Systems.
They will be joined by Olaniyi Yusuf, Managing Partner, Verraki; Eniola Arausi, Head, Shared Services/Operations, Olla Systems; Oyeniyi Immanuel, Vice President, Regulatory and Compliance, Terragon Group; Uche Okugo, Founder and CEO, FastClaim Solutions; Boluwaji Faniyi, Senior Manager, Architecture and Planning, MTN Nigeria; Olamide Ojumu, Head, Corporate Services, Olla Systems; Oshiorenua Adams, ICT Manager, Aradel Holdings; Stella Ashinaga, Data Analyst, Flour Mills of Nigeria; Femi Adeyemi, General Manager (IT), Renaissance Africa Energy; and Dr. Chidozie Nsoedo, Lecturer, Information Systems, Lagos Business School.
The event will be held in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, and will bring together participants from across Africa.
Attendance is by invitation, with registration required.
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