*Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, highlights Nigeria’s $191 million recent Foreign Direct Investment, unveiling fresh plans for a $2 billion initiative to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic infrastructure across the country from Q4 2025

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Nigeria’s Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy sector has witnessed massive growth under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, attracting $191 million in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Q1 2024.

This attainment is a ninefold increase from $22 million recorded Q1 2023.

Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), disclosed this development during an interview for an upcoming State House documentary marking President Tinubu’s 2nd Anniversary.

The Federal Government also noted Dr. Tijani highlighted the robust workforce development in the sector of the Nigerian economy, driven by the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.

The Minister also unveiled plans for a $2 billion initiative to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic infrastructure nationwide, starting from the Fourth Quarter (Q4) 2025.

Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, affirmed this in a statement Monday, May 19, 2025, noted Dr. Tijani said: “These foundational reforms, coupled with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the startup ecosystem, have positioned Nigeria as a global leader in the digital economy.”

In a comparative analysis of the FDI inflows in the last few years, he said: “In Q1 2023, the sector had about $22 million; by Q1 2024, with this administration well underway, we reached $191 million.

“The trend continued in Q2, increasing from $25 million in 2023 to $114 million in 2024.”

Progress on 3MTT programme

Tijani explained that the 3MTT programme, launched October 2023 to create a tech-savvy workforce, has already trained over 117,000 Nigerians in digital skills, surpassing its initial target of 30,000.

The Minister stated: “By last year, we already moved that to over 117,000. With an additional 35,000 in training, the programme is nearing 10% of its 3 million goal.

“And in the rest of the time in office, we hope to reach the 3 million.”

Project Bridge and connectivity for digital consumers

In regard to connectivity in the Nigerian digital ecosystem, Tijani announced that Project Bridge, which focuses on deploying 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable, would commence in the Fourth Quarter (Q4) of this year.

He further said: “We are preparing a $2 billion investment to ensure every Nigerian can access affordable, high-quality connectivity regardless of location.

“Increasing connectivity hubs by just 10% could yield a 2.5% GDP growth.”

Besides, the Minister celebrated Nigeria’s ranking among the world’s聽 60 top countries for Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness and developing a homegrown Large Language Model (LLM).

He spotlighted the launch of the “AI Collective” platform, supported by leading partners, including Pierre Omidyar, Google, and Microsoft, to foster collaboration and innovation in Artificial Intelligence in the country’s digital space.

According to Tijani, the Ministry, for the first time, has funded 55 academic researchers to explore technology applications in agriculture, healthcare, and education.

Aside from these, N300 million was invested in 10 startups using AI and Blockchain technology to enhance agricultural productivity in Nigeria.

Insight on ‘Nigeria Startup House’ in San Francisco

Explaining the latest development on the “Nigeria Startup House”, an initiative targeting $5 billion in startup funding, based in San Francisco, United States (US), Dr. Tijani said: “Our goal is to attract $5 billion in investments for Nigerian startups, supported by the Startup Pact and Trade Desk initiatives.

He these initiatives would connect local technology firms to global opportunities and government procurement.

The Minister as well revealed that over 500 government technologists have been trained in AI and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), and the groundbreaking Digital Economy Bill has passed its first reading in the National Assembly (NASS), Abuja, FCT.

Installation of 7,000 telecoms towers, 12 states’ zero-rated Right-of-Way

In order to bridge existing rural connectivity gaps, Minister Tijani projected that 7,000 telecoms towers would be deployed, targeting 98 percent nationwide coverage.

Nigeria鈥檚 Federal Executive Council (FEC), in Abuja, has already approved the telecoms coverage expansion project, stated he.

The Minister for FMCIDE equally described the progress on Right-of-Way (RoW) issues as a game-changer for the country, revealing that 12 states in the Federation have adopted zero-rated Right-of-Way policies.

According to him, these efforts will support the National Broadband Plan’s goal of achieving 90 percent penetration by 2025, up from 48 percent in 2024.

Dr. Tijani projected the sector’s GDP contribution to rise from 16 percent to 22 percent.

He also noted: “If a sector can increase its contribution by three to four percent to the GDP, we’re about to see the economic growth鈥攚e’ve not seen it before. “Technology allows us to break the gap between governments and the people.”

The Minister, however, clarified that the Nigerian Government would not chase quick wins.

He asserted: “The results we want to provide for Nigeria are long-lasting reforms that will transform our economy for generations to come.”

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