Digital Sovereignty and Nigeria’s Engagement with Global Technology Governance: Data Localisation and Platform Regulation

This study examines Nigeria's positioning on digital sovereignty issues in global technology governance, focusing on data localisation policies, platform regulation, and Nigeria's diplomatic engagement with technology governance frameworks led by the United States, the European Union, and China. Digital sovereignty has emerged as a defining axis of international technology politics, with states increasingly asserting control over data flows, platform content moderation, and digital infrastructure through national legislation. Nigeria's Data Protection Act 2023 and National Cybersecurity Policy represent significant domestic expressions of digital sovereignty, with important implications for Nigeria's diplomatic relationships with major technology companies and their home governments. Drawing on digital sovereignty theory and international technology governance frameworks, this research analyses Nigeria's domestic digital legislation and its international diplomatic implications from 2021 to 2024. The study employs a qualitative methodology, drawing on legislative texts, regulatory agency reports from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, diplomatic correspondence, and interviews with technology law practitioners in Lagos. Findings are expected to show that Nigeria's digital sovereignty posture is evolving towards a hybrid model that asserts data localisation and platform accountability without fully embracing either the US open internet model or the Chinese controlled internet architecture. Keywords: digital sovereignty, Nigeria, data localisation, platform regulation, technology governance.