Nigeria Emerges as West Africa's Digital Powerhouse

On Tuesday, Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, declared Nigeria as West Africa's digital powerhouse during the Second Seminar on Anticipatory, Cyber and Digital Diplomacy in Abuja. He emphasized that Nigeria's influence in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity should be integral to its foreign policy.

Tijani noted that modern diplomacy increasingly relies on digital capabilities rather than traditional metrics like military strength or economic size. He pointed out that Nigeria is unique in West Africa for having its own communications satellites and the highest number of subsea internet cables, positioning it as a data hub for the region.

The minister announced the establishment of a Ministerial Advisory Council on Cybersecurity to enhance collaboration between the government and private sector on cyber threats. He also mentioned Nigeria's recognition as Africa's top-ranked nation for responsible AI and the development of a government-backed large language model that understands multiple local languages.