INTRO
The past week was marked by strategic engagements with both public and private sector leaders, driven by a shared commitment to accelerating the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy. Dr. Tijani’s engagements spanned key conversations with development partners, technology investors, state governments, and innovation-focused institutions, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, local capacity development and inclusive innovation.
A significant highlight of the week was the Honourable Minister’s official visit to Enugu State, where he was warmly received by the Executive Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah. Both parties discussed the Governor’s bold and innovative vision for the state and Dr. Tijani was also pleased to announce several initiatives from the Ministry to support Enugu’s digital transformation agenda.
The week concluded with a reflective moment at the Presidential Villa, as the Honourable Minister joined colleagues and top government officials to celebrate the 73rd birthday of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
TIMELINE
Monday, March 24 – Strengthening National and Development Partnerships
The Honourable Minister’s week began with a productive meeting with Ndiame Diop, Country Director for the World Bank Group, where both parties reviewed the ongoing collaboration around Project BRIDGE—the Ministry’s flagship initiative to deploy 90,000km of fibre-optic cable to extend connectivity to underserved communities.
Following this, Dr. Tijani held an internal progress review meeting with the Project BRIDGE task team, to assess milestones and action points for scaling.
He also received briefing updates from:
He ended the day in conversation with Dr. Armstrong Takang, CEO of Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), to explore their ongoing strategic and financial support for Project BRIDGE.
Tuesday, March 25 – UNESCO and Economic Strategy Alignment
He welcomed a delegation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), led by Dr. Hajo Sani, Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. Their discussions focused on strengthening collaboration on AI ethics, digital education, and research, in alignment with his long-term vision for inclusive innovation.
Later that day, the Honourable Minister participated in the Economic Management Team (EMT) meeting chaired by Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Dr. Tijani presented the Ministry’s 2025 focus areas and strategic deliverables as captured in our Blueprint.
Wednesday, March 26 – Private Sector Support and Global Collaboration
He held discussions with representatives of Canal+, the French media and telecommunications firm, who shared plans for expanding investments in Nigeria’s digital and creative sectors.
Dr. Tijani also held a virtual call with representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Cisco. They reviewed progress and outlined plans for all parties to facilitate the completion of the establishment of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Centre in Abuja—a key facility to support the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital governance framework.
Later in the day, he hosted the Airtel Africa Foundation, who announced a N1billion grant in support of the Ministry’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme. According to Dr. Segun Ogunsanya, Chairman of the Foundation, this commitment will train and empower 25,000 Nigerian youths with in-demand tech skills—firmly positioning them as contributors to Africa’s digital future.
The Honourable Minister’s final engagement was a virtual meeting with the EU Digital Investment Facility team to explore technical assistance mechanisms for scaling Project BRIDGE nationwide.
BLUEPRINT ALIGNMENT
This week’s engagements reflected a strong emphasis on two pillars of the Ministry’s Strategic Blueprint:
Thursday, March 27 – Driving Subnational Innovation in Enugu
Dr. Tijani travelled to Enugu State, where he was received by the Executive Governor Dr. Peter Mbah. He commended the Governor’s innovative leadership and reaffirmed the Ministry’s support by announcing several initiatives from our Ministry, including:
Following their session, the next stop was an engagement with 3MTT Fellows where he heard firsthand how the programme is equipping them with real-world technical skills. Their stories underscored the potential of the programme to power Nigeria’s digital economy from the grassroots.
Later in the day, the Honourable Minister was honoured at a cultural dinner hosted by the Enugu State Government—a celebration of collaboration, community, and commitment to innovation.
Friday, March 28 – Connecting Talent to Opportunity
Before departing Enugu, he had an interactive session with operators of Applied Learning Clusters (ALCs) delivering the 3MTT programme in the state, listening to their insights on implementation and outcomes.
From there, he headed to Lagos to participate in the 3MTT Strategic Partnership Dialogue, where he called on the private sector to join the government in creating job pathways for digitally trained talent.
The day ended with a roundtable discussion featuring large-scale employers, where they discussed models for integrating 3MTT graduates into the workforce—connecting training to actual employment and long-term impact.
Saturday, March 29 – Celebrating Visionary Leadership
Back in Abuja, Dr. Tijani joined other government leaders at the Presidential Villa for a special Iftar event which also commemorated the 73rd birthday of H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
In his remarks, the Honourable Minister reflected on the President’s bold vision and unwavering commitment to reform—qualities that continue to inspire our work in building a future-ready Nigeria.
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