#WeekInReview: Full Week Recap of Activities of the Honourable Minister, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani (Vol. 83)

Back to About Us > #WeekInReview: Full Week Recap of Activities of the Honourable Minister, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani (Vol. 83)

Posted on:

April 29, 2025

INTRO

Following the Easter holidays, this week presented another valuable opportunity to drive progress on the priorities set out in our Ministry’s Strategic Blueprint. Our engagements focused on deepening international collaboration, reviewing the progress of our infrastructure and talent development initiatives, and strengthening partnerships that support inclusion, innovation, and long-term digital resilience.

These conversations and connections serve as critical building blocks for delivering a digital economy that benefits all Nigerians.

TIMELINE

Tuesday, April 22 – Strengthening International Cooperation & Advancing Project BRIDGE

Following the Easter holidays, the Honourable Minister started his week in a thoughtful dialogue with Ambassadors and Heads of Missions of EU Countries in Nigeria – reflecting on the progress our Ministry is making towards delivering on our Strategic Blueprint for shared prosperity through technical efficiency — with a spotlight on digital public infrastructure, connectivity, and skills development.
He then received in his office, Peter Ryan, the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, to discuss areas of cooperation between Nigeria and his country, especially in the innovation and technology sector.
Later, he hosted the African Development Bank (AfDB) Mission to our Ministry to discuss the progress of Project BRIDGE, our flagship initiative to deploy 90,000km of fibre-optic cables across Nigeria towards establishing a robust digital backbone for the nation. AfDB representatives at the meeting include Uyoyo Zino Edosio, Chief Innovation and Digital Expert; Dr. Tarila Marclint Ebiede, Senior Fragility and Resilience Officer; Emmanuel Chisesa, Regional Procurement Coordinator; Francis Bisom, Climate Change and Green Growth; and Yerima Jatau, Financial Management Consultant.

Ahead of H.E President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second anniversary in office, Dr. Tijani featured in an interview session highlighting our Ministry’s work towards actualising the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

His last engagement on Tuesday was a meeting with the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier.

Wednesday, April 23 – Engagements on AI, Gender Inclusion, and Strategic Coordination

He started the day in a virtual meeting with Martin Tisne, Chief Executive Officer, AI Collaborative, to share updates on their support for our work around AI, and initiatives launched at the AI Action Summit in France earlier this year.

Charles Usie, Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, led his team to the Honourable Minister’s office to express their organisation’s support for our Ministry’s projects, particularly the gender-focused initiatives such as the Girls in ICT competition, an initiative geared at creating a pipeline of young, talented girls interested in engaging purposefully in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. The meeting ended with the signing of a MoU between their organisation and our Ministry to advance female-centered tech initiatives that provide opportunities for girls and young women.

Following this engagement, he met with the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Advisory Body where they reviewed the activities of the initiative as we move to scale up the programme.

BLUEPRINT ALIGNMENT

This week’s activities reflect a strong alignment with the Knowledge, Infrastructure, and Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Capital pillars of our Ministry’s Strategic Blueprint. The Honourable Minister’s engagements with international development partners like the AfDB and EU delegations advanced our Ministry’s work on Project BRIDGE, reinforcing our commitment to building a nationwide broadband backbone.

The 3MTT Advisory Body meeting and MoU with Plan International strengthened our drive to nurture technical talent and promote digital inclusion, particularly for women and girls. Simultaneously, our ongoing collaborations on AI signal our intent to position Nigeria as a forward-thinking, innovation-driven digital economy.

Thursday, April 24 – Championing Youth and Gender Representation in Leadership

On Thursday, he was at the State House Banquet Hall to attend the Young Women’s Leadership Conference themed, ‘Breaking Barriers: Digital Literacy, Financial Inclusion & Leadership Representation’. In his keynote address, the Honourable Minister emphasised the critical role of women in building our digital economy, and the need to encourage greater gender inclusion in technology.
The significance of the day was also highlighted as it coincided with the International Day of Girls in ICT and he shared his personal stories of working with women in tech as an inspiration to girls nationwide.

Friday, April 25 – Driving Regional Connectivity Through Infrastructure Partnerships

Dr. Tijani hosted in his office representatives of Solutron Eastern Fibre Limited and Bank of Africa (BOA), United Kingdom. The Solutron team highlighted their work in deploying fibre-optic internet services in Nigeria’s South East region and Abuja FCT. They also expressed interest in supporting our Ministry’s effort to enhance connectivity in unserved and underserved areas across the country through our Project BRIDGE initiative. The Solutron team was led by Funsho Lawal, the company’s Managing Director, while Bunmi Otoki, MD and Head of Corporate Banking, led the BOA team.

Posted on:

April 29, 2025