#WeekInReview: Full Week Recap of Activities of the Honourable Minister, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani (Vol. 73)

Back to About Us > #WeekInReview: Full Week Recap of Activities of the Honourable Minister, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani (Vol. 73)

Posted on:

February 10, 2025

INTRO

The Ministry’s efforts to connect citizens in unserved and underserved communities across Nigeria received a significant boost last week as the Federal Executive Council, led by H.E President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, gave approval for the establishment of the Nigeria Universal Communication Access (NUCA) Project, which has the potential to connect over 21 million Nigerians who lack basic mobile communications access.

Also approved was the National Artificial Intelligence Trust (NAIT), which will, amongst other things, drive investments in AI infrastructure, policy development, and innovation towards transforming our economy.

TIMELINE

Monday:

The Honourable Minister was at the Presidential Villa to attend the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by H.E President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Later in the day, he chaired the meeting of the Technical Committee on National Addressing which took place in his office. The Committee had representation from the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and the Ministry, led by Permanent Secretary, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo.
Next was a meeting at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) to engage with representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other government officials on the recently announced telecoms tariff increase.

Tuesday:

He joined his colleagues at the Presidential Villa for the extended FEC meeting where a number of resolutions were announced. Two key announcements from the Council meeting for our ministry was the approval for the establishment of the Nigeria Universal Communication Access (NUCA) Project and the National Artificial Intelligence Trust (NAIT). The NUCA Project aims to connect over 21 million Nigerians who lack the most basic mobile communications access, while the National AI Trust will mobilise resources and guide the development of AI in Nigeria.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, Dr. Tijani met with a delegation from the European Union who were in his office to introduce the team in charge of the EU-funded technical assistance for the Ministry, for studies in support of the proposed 90,000km fibre-optic network and improved digital literacy in Nigeria.
Later, the Honourable Minister officially welcomed Chief Isaacs Kekemeke, the newly appointed Chairman of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), who paid him a courtesy visit.
He then hosted Michael Freeman, the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, to explore opportunities for cooperation between our countries, particularly in the area of technology and innovation. Israel is keen on partnering with Nigeria as we progress in our efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s digital economy. Dr. Tijani’s last meeting for the day was with a delegation from EnterpriseNGR who visited to brief him on the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC) Project, which is aimed at establishing Lagos as the continent’s premier international financial hub. The team was led by EnterpriseNGR Chief Executive Officer, Obi Ibekwe.

Last week, the Honourable Minister’s activities focused on the Infrastructure pillar objective of our Strategic Blueprint as the Ministry received approval for the establishment of the Nigeria Universal Communication Access (NUCA) Project, complementing the Ministry’s efforts at improving connectivity in remote rural areas. The project, which will be funded through a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) model, will give access to connectivity to people in 4,834 communities across Nigeria.

Thursday:

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the social safety net for the most vulnerable in our society, the Honourable Minister met with Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs & Poverty Reduction to discuss the status of Nigeria’s social protection architecture and how the deployment of technology can improve the process. Other participants at the meeting include Uba Thomas Uba, Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank Group; and Funmi Olotu, National Coordinator, National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO).
After this meeting, he visited Chief Uche Nnaji, Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science & Technology, to discuss the development of a National Space Strategy for Nigeria. At the meeting, both Ministers agreed to set up a committee which will come up with an effective approach towards delivering the strategy. Beyond this, they also discussed a workable approach to the establishment of the National Artificial Intelligence Trust (NAIT) which was approved by the FEC earlier in the week.
Later he received a delegation from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who were in his office to share their perspective on the recently announced telecoms tariff review, and the need to ensure sustainability of the sector while balancing it with affordability for students. At the meeting, both parties agreed to work together on key projects to provide fibre access to university hostels for the benefit of students.

Friday:

On Friday, a team from Globacom visited his office to discuss the company’s interest in partnering with the Ministry to leverage their existing assets to connect more citizens particularly to government services. The Globacom team included Zakari Usman, Head of Business Enterprise; Abayomi Daramola, Chief Technical Officer, Glo1 Submarine Cable; Chinelo Mbanefo, Head of Marketing Enterprise, and others. The Honourable Minister’s last official engagement for the week was a call with Ombeline Gras, Global Affairs Advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron. They had discussions on key issues ahead of the AI Action Summit scheduled for Paris in France.

Posted on:

February 10, 2025