From Moshood Karim
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, has showcased sweeping achievements in Nigeria’s digital sector as he marked two years since his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Reflecting on his journey, Tijani described his appointment as “the highest honour” of his life, adding that his ministry had pursued a clear blueprint to position Nigeria as a global leader in the digital economy.
“In two years, we have trained 125,000 young Nigerians in the 3MTT programme and equipped 225,000 others with digital literacy skills,” he said, noting that secondary school students and young women had also benefited from national innovation drives such as Build-a-thon and Girls in ICT.
On connectivity, Tijani revealed that Project BRIDGE was on course to deliver 90,000km of fibre optic cable nationwide, while Project 774 is linking every local government secretariat using NigComSat satellites. The Fibre to Hostels Initiative, he said, was also giving university students direct access to high-speed internet.
Other milestones include a rural connectivity pilot in Kura, Abuja, which will pave the way for 7,000 telecom towers expected to connect 20 million unserved Nigerians.
Nigeria’s push into Artificial Intelligence (AI) has also gained traction, with the ministry co-creating a National AI Strategy, funding 45 AI startups, and backing 10 demonstration projects tackling challenges in agriculture, healthcare, education, and security.
“Connectivity is more than infrastructure — it is the lifeline of a modern society,” Tijani stressed, while announcing investments in digital innovation spaces such as the Digital Innovation Park in Kano and over 100 computer facilities across the country.
Beyond digital infrastructure, the minister disclosed that NIPOST is being modernised into a hub for e-commerce, agro-logistics, digital banking, and national delivery. Civil servants are also being retrained under the DevsInGovernment initiative, with digital public infrastructure set to transform how citizens access essential services like passports, licences, and business registration.
Looking ahead, Tijani reaffirmed his commitment to data protection, strengthening Nigeria’s AI leadership, opening global markets to startups, and ensuring Nigeria’s voice is heard in shaping the future of the digital economy.
“The work is far from done, but every day convinces me more that our best days are ahead — together,” he said, while thanking President Tinubu for his “support, vision and rare leadership.”
