#WeekInReview: Full Week Recap of Activities of the Honourable Minister, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani (Vol. 80)

Back to About Us > #WeekInReview: Full Week Recap of Activities of the Honourable Minister, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani (Vol. 80)

Posted on:

April 7, 2025

INTRO

The past week was filled with purposeful engagements that advanced the Honourable Minister’s drive to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation. From facility tours and community interactions at home to international panels and bilateral meetings abroad, the focus remained on inclusive innovation, infrastructure development, and digital trade.

A significant highlight of the week was his participation in the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa held in Kigali, Rwanda. There, he joined global and African leaders to shape the future of AI on the continent and champion Nigeria’s strategic positioning in the space. Upon returning, he continued engagements with key private sector leaders on AI infrastructure, and celebrated cultural heritage with the Egba community.

TIMELINE

Monday:

On Monday, he made a tour of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Lagos in the company of its President and CEO, David Daser, alongside key stakeholders from the Nigerian technology and innovation ecosystem. He inspected the institution’s facilities with a view to assessing its capacity to drive digital skills development, job creation, and entrepreneurship. During the visit, the Honourable Minister highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships in leveraging DBI’s resources, calling on stakeholders to collaborate in designing and implementing a Talent City—a dedicated hub to support Nigeria’s growing Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector.

Dr. Tijani travelled to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to commission the newly built community ICT centre which was facilitated by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). The facility will bridge the gap and create avenues for young people to explore their creativity and talent. He also met and interacted with a number of 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) fellows from the State. The commissioning event was attended by HRM Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Adedotun Gbadebo.
Following the commissioning ceremony, he visited the Palace of HRM Alake of Egbaland, Oba Michael Adedotun Gbadebo, to pay homage and appreciate him for his continued support.

Tuesday:

He travelled to Rwanda to attend the Global AI Summit on Africa.

Wednesday:

The Honourable Minister arrived in Kigali, Rwanda to participate in the inaugural edition of the Global AI Summit on Africa organised by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) and the Rwandan Ministry of ICT & Innovation, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF).
His first engagement was to attend the Artificial Intelligence Policy & Strategy Workshop where he delivered a keynote address and joined a high-level panel hosted by Smart Africa. Discussions at the workshop centred on national AI policy development and how African countries can collectively position themselves as influential actors in the global AI ecosystem.
He later featured on a panel at the Grand Challenges AI Community Convening hosted by the Gates Foundation and Axum. He spoke on the potential dangers of over-centralization of AI efforts in Africa and urged participants to invest in a connected ecosystem with diverse innovation nodes, reflecting the diversity of our people, priorities and realities. Other panelists include Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT & Innovation, Rwanda; Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, Togo; Dr. Shikoh Gitau, Founder/CEO, Qhala; Trevor Mundel, President, Global Health, Gates Foundation and Paulin Basinga, Africa Director, Gates Foundation.

Dr. Tijani then joined other Ministers and high-level representatives from across Smart Africa Member States, development partners, and private sector stakeholders, at the 20th Steering Committee Meeting of the Smart Africa Alliance. The Steering Committee Meeting which was co-chaired by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ended with a number of resolutions including establishment of the Africa AI Council, advancement of the Africa Bulk Purchase Market Place (BPMP) initiative, support for cybersecurity coordination, and launch of the Africa Digital Health Leadership Network (ADHLN). Smart Africa is an alliance of African countries, international organisations, and global private sector players tasked with advancing Africa’s digital transformation agenda.

BLUEPRINT ALIGNMENT

The Honourable Minister’s engagements last week reflected a strong emphasis on two pillars of the Ministry’s Strategic Blueprint:

Trade: Dr. Tijani’s meetings with H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, and Tony Elumelu focused on positioning Nigeria as a champion of digital trade and accelerating efforts towards the establishment of the Africa Trade Centre (ATC). These engagements are central to enhancing regional trade integration and Nigeria’s leadership in advancing Africa’s digital economy.

Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Capital: At the Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, he participated in high-level sessions and bilateral meetings that advanced Nigeria’s AI agenda. Key outcomes included strengthened partnerships with the Gates Foundation and the UN Tech Envoy on AI ecosystem development, support for local AI researchers, and proposals for sustainable infrastructure to power AI innovation. The week also featured discussions with Sahara Group on powering future AI infrastructure and the feasibility of siting a National Data Park in Egbin.

Thursday:

At the opening day of the Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, the Honourable Minister was on a high-level panel to speak on the challenges and opportunities that AI presents for Africa’s socio-economic development. At the session, which set the scene for the 2-day summit, panelists explored the challenges and opportunities to advance inclusive and resilient growth. In his remark, Dr. Tijani highlighted the importance of investing in young people across the continent with a view to developing local solutions from Artificial Intelligence. He also spoke about the establishment of the Nigeria AI Collective, a community of practice bringing together experts from various sectors to ensure AI’s safe and ethical use. On the panel were H.E Wamkele Mene, Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area; Paula Ingabire, Minister, ICT & Innovation, Rwanda; Dr. James Mwangi, Managing Director & CEO, Equity Group Holding; Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director & Head, The Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The session was moderated by Nima Elmi, VP, Strategy & Policy, Circle and CEO & co-Founder, The Africa Dialogues.
After this, he had a bilateral meeting with representatives of the Gates Foundation led by Trevor Mundel, President of the organisation’s Global Health Division. At the meeting, they discussed the importance of investing in the AI ecosystem in Nigeria and ensuring its long-term sustainability. The Honourable Minister provided an overview of the Nigeria AI Collective, highlighting its structure which include two working groups — the Data Encryption/Collection Working Group and the Infrastructure Working Group — both focused on strengthening the foundational pillars of AI development in the country. During the conversation, they explored the possibility of securing GPU hours from Switzerland to support local AI hubs, a move that would significantly enhance computational access for innovators and researchers. The Gates Foundation expressed a strong interest in supporting the Nigeria AI Collective and committed to providing additional funding for AI researchers in the country.
His next meeting was with H.E Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and his team. During their discussion, the AfCFTA team acknowledged Nigeria’s role as a champion for digital trade in Africa and expressed their intention to collaborate more closely with the Ministry to further promote digital trade across the continent. They also conveyed their desire for Nigeria to take a leading role in advancing the Africa digital identity initiative. Dr. Tijani shared insights into the Trade Pillar of the Ministry’s Strategic Blueprint and formally sought the Secretariat’s support for the development of the Africa Trade Centre (ATC). The AfCFTA team extended an invitation for Nigeria to attend the upcoming Trade Summit in Zambia scheduled for May.

Still on the sidelines of the Global AI Summit on Africa, he held a productive meeting with the UN Tech Envoy, Amandeep Singh Gill. Their discussions focused on enhancing mobile connectivity in Nigeria and exploring a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model tailored to the country’s unique context. They also delved into the proposal for an African DPI Council, with plans for Nigeria to serve as co-Chair. To move this initiative forward, his team and the UN Tech Envoy’s team agreed to collaborate on the Council’s design. He concluded the meeting by extending a formal invitation to Mr. Gill to attend the upcoming ICEGOV event scheduled to take place in Nigeria this October.

Friday:

He returned to Nigeria after a number of productive engagements in Kigali, Rwanda.

Later on Friday, he met with entrepreneur and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, to solicit his support as the Ministry puts in motion plans for the Africa Trade Centre, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment. The meeting with Mr. Elumelu is in the wake of his recent meeting in Rwanda with H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, where they discussed the development of the Africa Trade Centre (ATC) in Nigeria.

He then made a stop at the Sahara Group headquarters in Lagos where he met with Dr. Kola Adesina, Chairman, Sahara Group and his team to explore options for powering the infrastructure that will drive Nigeria’s AI agenda.

Saturday:

On Saturday, he headed to Abeokuta to join fellow sons and daughters of Egbaland to celebrate Lisabi Day, a day set aside to remember the exceptional courage and valour of the Egba hero. Special congratulations to HRM Oba Michael Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland, for his commitment to preserving and upholding the legacy of our forbears.
On the back of discussions in his earlier meeting with the Sahara Group team led by its Chairman, Dr. Kola Adesina, he returned to Lagos to visit the Egbin Power Plant, the largest privately owned power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a view to exploring the feasibility of siting a National Data Park and Compute Infrastructure in Egbin — leveraging its access to water, gas, and potential for clean energy. This endeavour aligns perfectly with the Honourable Minister’s plan to position Nigeria as the regional hub for subsea cable landing and connectivity resilience.

Posted on:

April 7, 2025