……FG to buy two satellites
Bosun Tijani, minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, says the federal government has completed 60 percent of its plan to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic infrastructure across Nigeria.
Tijani spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at an event marking the Global Privacy Day, organised by the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
In August 2025, the federal government announced plans to lay 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable across Nigeria as part of efforts to deepen internet access and digital inclusion.
“When I talk about the fact that we will connect 90,000 kilometres of fibre, it’s not just a dream. I’ve actually done 60 percent of that work,” the minister said.
“The money for that project has been secured. So if I talk to you today, I can boldly say that I’ve done the bulk of the work for whoever is going to become the minister.”
Tijani said digital infrastructure drive is part of President Bola Tinubu’s vision to build a $1 trillion economy anchored on shared prosperity.
“If our economy can truly become $1 trillion, most of the money that we all want to see will become extremely positive,” he said.
“Because it’s from what we generate that we’re able to provide roads, schools, hospitals, but also pay our staff well as well.”
He said the ministry’s role is to ensure that technology serves as an enabler of shared prosperity, stressing that digital growth must benefit all Nigerians.
“Our contribution will be to ensure that digital technology serves as an enabler of shared prosperity, not just prosperity, but shared prosperity, so that every member of our society can actually benefit from the work we do,” he said.
FG TO PROCURE TWO COMMUNICATION SATELLITES
Beyond fibre deployment, Tijani listed other priority projects, including the rollout of about 4,000 telecom towers in rural areas under the MilCAP programme and plans to procure two new communication satellites.
“Nigeria today is the only country in West Africa with a known communication satellite, and we’ve been given a head to procure two new ones,” he said.
“We want to ensure that we can use those satellites to connect every part of our nation and neighbouring countries.”
The minister said Nigeria is also investing heavily in digital skills, describing the country’s technology talent accelerator as the largest of its kind.
“To truly appropriate technology, we must have a strong workforce to back our mission,” he said.
Tijani, however, warned that expanding connectivity without adequate safeguards could undermine public confidence in the digital economy.
“If we lose trust in this sector, people will be discouraged from actually relying on some of the tools that we brought to transform our economy,” he said.
“But if we can maintain trust, citizens will believe in those tools, and those tools will help to make Nigeria prosperous.”
The minister described data protection and privacy as the foundation of trust, noting that the signing of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission Act was a deliberate signal by the administration.
“It was a clear signal that as Nigeria accelerates its digital transformation, the rights, dignity, and data of our citizens must be protected,” Tijani said.
“The success of Nigeria’s digital economy will rest not only on infrastructure and talent, but also on trust.”
Earlier, Vincent Olatunji, the national commissioner and chief executive officer of the NDPC, said the commission is strengthening enforcement of data protection laws through judicial training, international collaboration and engagement with security agencies.
Olatunji also disclosed that the NDPC would soon publish a list of non-compliant higher institutions as part of efforts to promote accountability.
He said enforcement, public awareness, and collaboration are critical to sustaining trust as Nigeria’s digital economy expands.
A highlight of the event was the presentation of an award to Tijani as global data protection champion by the NDPC.
