JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ

The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone held a bilateral engagement in Freetown focused on strengthening cooperation in the digital economy, technology innovation, and cross-border trade.

The engagement brought together senior officials from both governments led by the respective ministers responsible for the Digital Economy – Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and Hon. Salimah Bah, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation as well as leading private-sector actors from the two countries.

Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening regional integration, expanding digital infrastructure, and building a more innovative, resilient, and inclusive West African economy. Specific highlights of the discussions include:

1.  Strengthened Bilateral Cooperation

 The two Governments agreed to enhance collaboration across priority areas of mutual interest, including:

• Digital public infrastructure and interoperable government systems
• Broadband expansion and resilient connectivity
• Digital identity, cybersecurity, and data governance
• Artificial intelligence development and responsible innovation
• Digital literacy, talent development, and institutional capacity building
• Cross-border digital trade and private-sector partnerships

2.  Signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)

 The Governments of Nigeria and Sierra Leone signed MoUs establishing structured cooperation on:

• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
• Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies
• Talent development and digital skills
• Broadband infrastructure and spectrum collaboration

Private-sector companies from both countries also signed multiple partnership MoUs aimed at:

• Expanding digital services across markets
• Strengthening fintech, edtech, healthtech, govtech and cloud solutions
• Driving joint innovation projects
• Supporting startup exchange and enterprise growth

Both Governments welcomed these agreements as a major step toward accelerating shared economic opportunities and deepening regional innovation.

3.  Commitment to a Joint Implementation Framework

 Nigeria and Sierra Leone resolved to establish a Joint Technical Working Group to coordinate, monitor and review progress on the agreements signed, and to propose additional areas of cooperation. The Working Group will provide periodic updates to both Ministers.

4.  Shared Vision for Regional Integration

The two Governments reiterated that West Africa’s prosperity depends on stronger cooperation, freer movement of innovation, and deeper cross-border collaboration. Both sides affirmed that the bonds shared across the sub-region are stronger than the borders that separate us, and that a distributed innovation system will unlock new opportunities for growth.

5.  Appreciation

Both Governments expressed mutual appreciation for the constructive dialogue, and strong spirit of partnership demonstrated throughout the engagement. Nigeria acknowledged the warm hospitality and support of Sierra Leonean authorities in facilitating the mission, while Sierra Leone commended Nigeria’s leadership in advancing digital transformation in the region.

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This Joint Communiqué is issued by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone.