By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Nigeria’s Minister of
Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr ‘Bosun Tijani, has withdrawn
his candidacy for the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), saying he will remain focused on delivering
Nigeria’s domestic digital transformation agenda.
Tijani said the decision
followed careful consideration of the opportunity, which would have given
Nigeria the prospect of having a national elected as an ITU official for the
first time in the organisation’s 160-year history.
He said the international
position was attractive both personally and for Nigeria, but concluded that his
most consequential contribution at the current stage would be to remain focused
on critical digital programmes at home.
Under the leadership of
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tijani highlighted several major initiatives being
pursued by Nigeria, including Project BRIDGE, which is planned to deploy 90,000
kilometres of open-access fibre infrastructure nationwide.
He also cited NUCAP, which
is intended to extend mobile connectivity to millions of people in underserved
and unserved communities through the deployment of thousands of new
telecommunications towers.
Other projects include the
development of two new communications satellites to expand coverage and
strengthen national resilience, a national alphanumeric postcode system to
provide precise digital addresses for homes and businesses, and the Nigeria Web
Design Standards aimed at making government digital services more consistent,
accessible and citizen-centred.
Tijani said these
programmes, alongside other initiatives supported by the President, have the
potential to deliver lasting benefits to Nigeria’s digital economy and
population.
He also linked the domestic
initiatives to the broader objectives of the ITU, arguing that successful
implementation would contribute to universal, meaningful and inclusive
connectivity.
The Minister said his focus
will therefore remain on supporting President Tinubu’s digital economy agenda
and ensuring that the country’s major technology and connectivity programmes
deliver enduring value for Nigerians.
His withdrawal leaves Tijani
to continue pursuing Nigeria’s digital transformation priorities domestically
rather than seeking an elected leadership position within the global
telecommunications body.
