Digital Sovereignty and the Politics of Data Control in Nigeria’s Digital Economy

The rapid growth of Nigeria’s digital economy has intensified debates on digital sovereignty, particularly regarding the ownership, governance, and control of citizens’ data within a digital ecosystem dominated by global technological platforms. As digital platforms increasingly shape economic transactions, communication, and information exchange, concerns have emerged regarding influence of foreign technological firms in the collection, processing, commodification and commercialisation of user data. Although regulatory frameworks, such as the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) have been introduced to strengthen data governance and policy compliance, public awareness and understanding of these policies remain limited. This raises important questions about Nigeria’s capacity to protect citizens’ data rights and assert regulatory authority within the global digital environment. Guided by the political economy of communication, this study examines public perceptions of data ownership, awareness of data protection policies, and attitudes toward government regulation of digital platforms. The survey research design was adopted using a structured questionnaire administered to 400 digital media users across selected urban centers in Nigeria. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to assess patterns of awareness and perceptions of data governance. Findings indicate that while citizens acknowledge the importance of protecting national data resources, awareness of existing data protection frameworks remains relatively low. Mitigating this concern requires improved public awareness, accountability, capacity building and stronger regulatory paradigms.