Nigerian fintechs are turning to local cloud service providers to meet evolving compliance standards, as regulatory demands around data privacy, sovereignty and cybersecurity intensify.
This shift took centre stage at the CloudReady Nigeria Breakfast (Fintech Edition), where industry leaders discussed how homegrown infrastructure partners can support secure, scalable, and regulation-ready growth in Nigeria. Held under the theme: “Scaling Securely in a Digital-First Nigeria,” the high-level session brought together CTOs, CIOs, and infrastructure heads from leading fintechs and microfinance institutions, along with policymakers and regulators. Discussions emphasised the rising need for local cloud partnerships that align with Central Bank and data protection guidelines, particularly around data domiciliation, privacy, and cost optimisation.
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Gbemisola Osunrinde, CEO of SmartComply, said fintechs must begin to view cloud as more than infrastructure, as it is now a critical element of compliance strategy.
“Local providers are better positioned to understand Nigeria’s regulatory realities and build systems that meet them without compromising on agility,” Osunrinde added.
At the heart of the roundtable were two key sessions: “Beyond the Buzzword – What ‘Cloud-Native’ Really Means for Nigerian Fintechs,” which explored how fintechs can evolve their infrastructure beyond generic cloud adoption into tailored, compliant cloud architectures; and “Scaling Smart – Navigating Cloud, Compliance, and Cost,” where experts unpacked how partnerships with Nigerian cloud providers and managed service firms can drive sustainable growth and regulatory assurance.
The gathering comes amid increasing scrutiny from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), both of which have issued stronger directives for fintechs to host data locally and ensure infrastructure maturity that supports security and transparency.
“The future of Nigeria’s fintech is local. It has to be built on resilient, secure, and compliant digital infrastructure developed here in Nigeria,” said Dr. Ayotunde Coker, CEO of Open Access Data Centres, calling for greater investment in homegrown infrastructure players.
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“A Nigerian fintech may be global in ambition, but it must be local in design,” said Chigozie Amajor, acting CIO of NIBSS, referencing the need for adaptive infrastructure that blends innovation with real-time regulatory alignment.
The CloudReady Nigeria Breakfast served not only as a knowledge-sharing platform but also as a strategic networking hub for senior decision-makers navigating cloud transformation in one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital economies.
The event is part of Africa Hyperscalers’ ongoing initiative to accelerate enterprise cloud readiness across sectors. With fintech at the forefront of Nigeria’s digital economy, organisers say now is the time to move beyond hype and build execution-ready systems that balance innovation with integrity.
