3MTT Summit: Tijani Showcases Tinubu’s Digital Impact

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, on Thursday outlined sweeping reforms and landmark investments undertaken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to accelerate the nation’s digital transformation, as he addressed participants at the 3MTT National Impact Summit.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Tijani recalled a directive by President Tinubu during a recent Federal Executive Council meeting, where he urged government officials to “fire up the base” and ensure that the average Nigerian feels the direct impact of government reforms. He described the summit as both a celebration of the progress of the 3MTT initiative and an opportunity to acknowledge the President’s unprecedented commitment to the digital economy in just over two years.

Tijani noted that one of the President’s earliest interventions was signing the National Data Protection Commission Act into law, giving Nigeria its first globally recognized data protection authority. In October 2023, the President approved the launch of the world’s largest technology talent accelerator—3MTT—designed to produce three million technical professionals.

He added that in May 2024, President Tinubu approved an ambitious $2 billion investment in a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network to deliver world-class internet across Nigeria, the largest such project in any developing country. This, he said, was complemented by the August 2024 declaration of telecommunications and ICT assets as critical national infrastructure, ensuring stronger protection from vandalism.

The minister further highlighted the President’s approval of long-awaited tariff reviews in January 2025, enabling telecom operators to recover from a decade of losses and attract new foreign investments. Additionally, Tinubu recently approved the deployment of nearly 4,000 rural telecom towers to connect about 23 million unserved Nigerians, mostly in northern and remote communities.

Tijani said these reforms have significantly strengthened Nigeria’s digital economy, making it one of the most attractive investment destinations in Africa. However, he emphasised that the heart of the administration’s strategy lies in talent development and job creation, in line with Tinubu’s pledge to generate one million tech jobs.

He revealed that by the end of 2023, Nigeria had over 4.5 million unfilled tech vacancies, demonstrating both the opportunity and urgency behind the 3MTT initiative. With a youthful population—over 60% under age 30—Nigeria is positioned to become a major global exporter of digital talent, he said.

The minister detailed substantial private sector support that enabled the programme to take off even before government funding was available. IHS Towers contributed ₦1 billion to 3MTT and ₦1.5 billion to rebuild the burnt Kano Tech Park, while also supporting tech hubs in Kwara and Borno. MTN followed with ₦3 billion, Airtel with ₦1 billion, and global tech companies such as AWS, Google, Microsoft, and SecureID committed millions in training credits, grants and infrastructure.

Google alone invested over ₦2 billion in deep tech training, while Microsoft provided $1 million in specialised learning. The Alternative Bank offered ₦5 billion in device credit to fellows.

According to Tijani, 1.8 million Nigerians applied for 3MTT within the first month of launch, with applicants drawn from every state and local government area. Using a phased precision approach, the ministry trained 30,000 Nigerians in the first batch (1%) between December 2023 and July 2024, and subsequently expanded training to 300,000 (10%).

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He disclosed that over 15,000 participants from the first batch have already secured jobs—many earning over ₦250,000 monthly—and more than 201 applied learning centres and 600 facilitators have been activated nationwide. Laptops worth ₦1.5 billion have been distributed, and over ₦400 million in innovation prizes awarded.

To support job placement, partnerships with the European Union and UNDP through the Jubilee Programme are providing paid internship opportunities for fellows.

Looking ahead, Tijani said the sustainability of 3MTT requires deeper private sector collaboration, improved learning centres, a robust talent-development operating system, and a long-term funding endowment.

He closed by reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to building a globally competitive Nigerian digital workforce. “These fellows are the future of Nigeria’s digital growth,” he said. “With President Tinubu’s support, we are building the talent that will power our nation’s productivity and prosperity.”