Making Data Localisation Work in Practice

On 9 October 2026, I led a session with team leads and technical colleagues at DSN/EqualyzAI on data sovereignty and localisation in Nigeria. I wanted us to work through one question: how do we turn localisation requirements into infrastructure that works, protects our interests and creates value?

Consider a company moving a service to Nigeria. Finding somewhere to store its data is one decision. Its application may also rely on software running elsewhere, while backups and support arrangements involve other companies. Moving the database does not tell us whether those connections will still work or where the other copies of the data will be.

That is where I see the legal and technical work meeting. The lawyer needs to establish which requirements apply to the data and the service. The engineers need to explain what the service depends on and what a move would involve. Together, they can work out what needs to change and what the hosting and support contracts must cover. The company needs an arrangement it can operate reliably and evidence that it meets the rules that apply to it.