The importance of data sovereignty and security creates complexity in a world where sharing such information across borders generates huge social and economic benefits, says Andrew Cruise, Managing Director of Routed, a local VMware Cloud Verified provider and VMware Principal Partner.

 

It is clear that in the digital age, data sovereignty is becoming more important, as data is increasingly generated and collected through a variety of channels, including e-commerce, social media platforms and mobile devices.

 

Essentially, data sovereignty is a phrase that describes the principle that a country has the authority and right to govern and control the data generated within its borders. Thus, the concept of data sovereignty gives governments the power to regulate the collection, storage, processing, and distribution of any data that originates within its borders.

 

Obviously, this will have an impact on cross-border data flows and international data-sharing agreements. Remember that different countries adopt different data sovereignty policies, but broadly they are about demanding that data generated within the country be kept within the borders for security or regulatory purposes.

 

Complicating the situation is the recognition that data access and the sharing of such information across borders generates social and economic benefits of somewhere between 2.5% and 4% of GDP. In addition, data transfers of this nature also enable a wide variety of other critical activities, such as the sharing of essential information related to crime prevention, scientific research and innovation, anti-fraud and money-laundering activities, disaster management and even climate change.

 

It’s worth paying close attention to data sovereignty, not only from the point of view of safeguarding private data, but also to avoid liability issues related to legal violations associated with a failure to protect personal information.

 

A major reason for the complexity around data sovereignty is that the laws governing it vary greatly from country to country, as do cloud service providers’ agreements concerning privacy policies and user rights. Therefore, organisations operating across multiple countries or regions must understand each country’s regulations to comply with all applicable laws.

 

In fact, ultimately, there are multiple differing definitions of exactly what constitutes ‘data sovereignty’, and it is vital that we obtain some form of industry-wide collaboration in defining and upholding the principles of data sovereignty.

 

Recognising the complexities of data sovereignty, VMware notes that the answer lies in sovereign cloud deployment, as this is an option that is inherently more secure and offers better data integrity and data assurance.

 

To this end, VMware is making efforts to promote Sovereign Cloud Partnerships and the criteria they use to select providers, but at the same time, it seeks to limit the number of providers in each region – thus ensuring the rarity of the ‘cloud sovereignty’ badge.

 

Among VMware’s requirements are for such service providers to have locally sited data centres, and in terms of data security, for them to be ISO and payment card industry data security standard (PCI-DSS) compliant – both areas where Routed has comfortably met requirements.

 

We already segregate management networks from production networks, storage traffic from a host strategy, and even separate host traffic from public-facing web traffic. In addition, we have multi-factor authentication (MFA) in place and have been leveraging the principle of least access from the very beginning. We are firm believers in the principle that, if you do things properly from day one, you don’t leave any doors open. Thus Routed has been highly conscious of implementing security best practices on its infrastructure from the outset.

 

Moreover, we understand that while we may have secured our back end as best as we can, poor security measures further down the value chain, like leaving ports open on firewalls, are difficult to mitigate against. However, when it comes to issues of data resilience and data integrity, our business has always had backup and replication products available to assist in a disaster recovery scenario.

 

Ultimately, there’s no one true definition of what data sovereignty is. But it will always entail data locality within sovereign borders, data security and data integrity. Routed is a South African company born and bred and has always been a local business. Of course, we may do business outside of South Africa, but our data centres are located inside South Africa. We’re not using this as a springboard to scale elsewhere in the world, which enables us to be the best local provider of our services – and data security, integrity and performance are a crucial part of that.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

You may also like

Business Economy

Lagos, Rivers, Ogun Lead Nigeria’s Domestic Debt Profile in 2024 — DMO

post-image

 

As Nigeria continues to grapple with economic headwinds, new data from the Debt Management Office (DMO) has shed light on the growing financial burdens carried by state governments across the country. Topping the list is Lagos State, with a staggering domestic debt of ₦900.19 billion as of December 2024—more than double that of the second-highest debtor, Rivers State.

Rivers State’s debt stands at ₦364.39 billion, reflecting its own share of the fiscal strain, while Ogun State, another South-Western state, is third with ₦211.86 billion. Delta State follows closely with ₦199.58 billion in domestic debt, and Bauchi, the leading state from the North-East, takes the fifth spot with ₦143.95 billion.

Other states in the top 10 include Niger (₦140.74 billion), Imo (₦126.14 billion), Benue (₦122.58 billion), Akwa Ibom (₦122.19 billion), and Enugu (₦119.28 billion). These figures reflect the financial realities many governors face as they attempt to fund development projects, pay salaries,…

Read More
Business Economy Government

Tinubu Is an Asset to Northern Nigeria and the Nation — Defence Minister Matawalle

post-image

Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a significant asset to Northern Nigeria and the country as a whole, urging citizens to dismiss what he termed “baseless and politically motivated” criticisms against the president.

In a statement released on Friday and signed by his Special Assistant on Political Affairs, Ibrahim Goga, Matawalle, who previously served as Governor of Zamfara State, condemned recent attacks on Tinubu, asserting that they are driven by individuals who failed to secure their political ambitions.

“President Tinubu has demonstrated an uncommon commitment to addressing the challenges facing our region,” the minister stated. “Those attacking him with propaganda are only seeking relevance after failing to secure their political future.”

He accused unnamed political figures of sponsoring misinformation campaigns as a way to divert attention from their own lackluster performance while in office. “These individuals had the opportunity to lead but left no…

Read More
Business Economy Technology Technology Trends

BorderlessTek Launches Lifeline for Underprivileged Nigerian Children Through Coding

post-image

 

In a powerful intervention against digital exclusion, a UK-based Nigerian tech entrepreneur, Wale Atekoja, is rewriting the future of disadvantaged children in Lagos, one line of code at a time.

His organization, Borderless Tek, has launched the Kids Coding Partnership — a grassroots tech education program designed to equip underprivileged schoolchildren in communities like Ikorodu and Yaba with foundational coding and software development skills, completely free of charge.

This is not just another CSR initiative. It’s a deliberate human-centered response to the growing digital divide that continues to marginalize low-income Nigerian children from the technology revolution sweeping the globe.

“We’ve been teaching Black kids in Europe how to code, but what about those back home?” says Wale Atekoja, better known as @AtexXeta on social media. “We’re not targeting the privileged. We’re starting with the forgotten — the children who have never touched a laptop.”

 

The first three-month cohort of the program is scheduled…

Read More
Business Economy

NITDA Boss Hosts Gambian Minister at GITEX Africa, Discusses Strategic Tech Collaboration

post-image

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has welcomed the Gambian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Hon. Lamin Jabbi, Esq., to the Nigerian Pavilion at the ongoing GITEX Africa in Marrakech.

The high-level meeting focused on deepening bilateral collaboration in the digital economy space, with particular emphasis on revitalising the Gambian tech ecosystem and fostering regional innovation. Discussions also covered plans for the Gambian delegation’s active participation in GITEX Nigeria, slated for September 2025.

Highlighting the need to boost digital trade between Nigeria and Gambia, Abdullahi stressed the importance of fostering closer ties among tech startups, innovation hubs, and venture capitalists across both countries. He further encouraged the adoption of supportive policy frameworks—such as tax holidays for startups in Gambia—as a catalyst for driving innovation, attracting investment, and strengthening cross-border partnerships in West Africa’s digital economy.

Read More
Business Culture Economy News

Southeast Nigeria Leads in Self-Made Billionaires, Not Ritualists – Hon. Obi-West Utchaychukwuo Declares

post-image

A renowned radio personality and social commentator, Hon. Obi-West Utchaychukwuo, has sparked conversation on social media with his bold statement debunking the myth surrounding wealthy individuals from Southeast Nigeria. According to Utchaychukwuo, the wealth of Igbo businessmen is not rooted in ritual practices but in hard work, smart networking, and deep business acumen.

In a recent statement shared online, Utchaychukwuo noted that the southeastern region of Nigeria, predominantly occupied by the Igbo ethnic group, is home to the highest number of self-made billionaires in the country. “These are not people who looted public funds,” he emphasized, “but entrepreneurs who have built legitimate empires.”

He pointed to events such as the high-profile burial ceremony of Obi Cubana’s mother, which drew nationwide attention due to the extravagant displays of wealth. While some questioned the sources of the funds, Utchaychukwuo clarified that many of those in attendance were top importers, exporters, and sole distributors…

Read More
Business Culture Economy

Regional Poverty Risk in Nigeria: North Central Households Most Vulnerable in 2023 — Report

post-image

 

A new report has shed light on the economic vulnerability of Nigerian households, showing significant disparities in poverty risk across the country’s six geopolitical zones. The data, compiled by the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (GMPI) in collaboration with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and published by Statisense, highlights the percentage of households in each region that are considered vulnerable to poverty in 2023.

According to the report, the North Central zone tops the list with 22.58% of households identified as being at risk of falling below the poverty line. This is closely followed by the North East, where 21.47% of households are vulnerable, reflecting the ongoing socio-economic challenges and insecurity that have plagued the region.

In the South South, often regarded as Nigeria’s oil-rich zone, 19.44% of households remain vulnerable to poverty. Despite the region’s resource wealth, many communities continue to struggle with underdevelopment and economic instability.

The South…

Read More
Business Economy Finance Fintech Investments

Nigeria’s Top Banks Record Historic Profits, Asset Growth in 2024 – Zenith, GTBank Lead in Earnings and Returns

post-image

Nigeria’s leading tier-1 banks, commonly referred to as FUGAZ – comprising First Bank, UBA, GTBank, Access Holdings, and Zenith Bank – have reported their full-year 2024 financial results, revealing a year of significant profitability, robust asset growth, and varied levels of return on assets (RoA). The figures reflect strong resilience and performance amidst economic headwinds and changing monetary dynamics in the country.

Zenith Bank and GTBank Cross ₦1 Trillion Profit Mark

In what has been described as a historic performance, both Zenith Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) surpassed the ₦1 trillion milestone in Profit After Tax (PAT) – a first for many in the Nigerian financial sector. Zenith Bank led the chart with ₦1.03 trillion in PAT, closely followed by GTBank with ₦1.02 trillion. This milestone signals strong cost management, increased interest income, and operational efficiency.

UBA, which has significantly expanded its footprint across Africa and other global markets, also posted…

Read More
Announcements Business Economy Education Environment Health

South East Leads in Milk Consumption as Experts Call for Wider Dairy Access Across Nigeria

post-image

 

By Anthony Nwosu – Lagos

The South East region of Nigeria has emerged as the leading zone in milk consumption, with a record 54.7% of households reportedly consuming milk and dairy products regularly. This is according to the latest 2023/2024 data released by Statisense using figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the General Household Survey (GHS), and the Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS).

The national average of milk consumption stands at 41.5%, with other zones falling behind the South East. The South South region follows closely at 50.1%, while the South West records 48.3%. However, the figures drop significantly in the North: North West (37.6%), North Central (29.4%), and North East (23.3%).

Health and nutrition experts say these numbers reflect the socio-economic imbalance in Nigeria, where access to nutritious foods like milk is often dictated by purchasing power and awareness.

Milk: A Nutritional Necessity

“Milk is not just a beverage—it’s a nutritional…

Read More