INTRO 

As we approach the end of the year, our Ministry’s focus is gradually moving from reviewing our performance to making clear and concrete plans to build on the work that has been done so far. Strategic documents like the 2025 – 2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) & Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) will serve as basis to ensure that the Ministry’s Strategic Blueprint is integrated and aligned with the overall economic development plans of H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

KEY FOCUS

Policy: To ensure efficient use of resources, promote effective governance, and achieve sustainable economic development, the Honourable Minister met with the Permanent Secretary, Directors in the Ministry and heads of agencies to highlight key details of the MTEF & FSP so as to ensure the Ministry’s priorities are aligned with the direction of the medium term document. 

TIMELINE

Monday:

• On Monday, Dr. Tijani attended the Google DeepMind AI for Science Forum which held at the Royal Society in London. The Forum was organised to discuss the opportunities that AI in Science offers and the challenges in delivering on that promise. At the Forum he spoke on a panel with Dr. Fabian Theis, Head, Helmholtz Munich Computational Health Center, School of Computation, Information and Technology, Munich, and Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Professor of Soil Biogeochemistry and Falasco Chair in Earth Sciences and Geology, University of California. The panel session was Chaired by Paul Hoeinz, President and Co-Founder, Lisbon Council.

Tuesday:

• With the release of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) & Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) at last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, it was important to ensure full alignment in the Ministry with the national growth objectives outlined in the document. In view of that, the Honourable Minister held a session with the Permanent Secretary, Directors in the Ministry and heads of agencies to share key details of the MTEF & FSP and finalise plans to ensure all budgeting done so far fully aligns with the document. This follows the budget performance review sessions across respective agencies which held last week.
• Then he joined a meeting with Natalija Gelvanovska-Garcia, Senior Digital Development Specialist at the World Bank to discuss the progress of the set up of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) targeted at delivering 90,000km of fibre-optic cable to enhance internet connectivity across the country.
• His final engagement for the day was an introductory meeting of the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Advisory Board where he formally welcomed the board members to their role as we work to scale the programme even further in the next few years. The Advisory Board, which is Chaired by Emeka Afigbo, Senior Director, Developer Success, Okta, was set up to provide oversight and guidance for the continued successful implementation of the 3MTT programme.

Wednesday:

• The Honourable Minister travelled to Geneva, Switzerland to join other distinguished Board members for his inaugural United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Board of Trustees meeting.