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Nigeria Sierra Leone

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani has led a high-level Nigerian delegation to Sierra Leone for the Nigeria–Sierra Leone Digital Economy Bilateral Trade Mission, culminating in the signing of a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation across digital public infrastructure, digital trade, cybersecurity, youth innovation and technology transfer.

The engagement follows Tijani’s participation in the Regional Summit on Digital Transformation in Benin Republic, reinforcing Nigeria’s proactive leadership in shaping West Africa’s digital future.

The mission included ecosystem hub tours, press engagements, technical sessions and government-to-government deliberations hosted by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Salima Bah. Discussions focused on digital trade coordination, cybersecurity collaboration, skills development and Artificial Intelligence development, reflecting both nations’ shared ambition to accelerate regional digital integration.

Following two days of intensive bilateral engagements, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to deepening regional integration, expanding digital infrastructure and building a more innovative, resilient and inclusive West African economy.

Both governments agreed to enhance collaboration across priority areas including interoperable government systems, broadband expansion, digital identity and data governance, artificial intelligence development, digital literacy and cross-border trade, highlighting the comprehensive scope of the partnership.

The signing of memoranda of understanding established structured cooperation on digital public infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, talent development and digital skills, as well as broadband infrastructure and spectrum collaboration.

Private-sector companies from both countries also signed partnership agreements aimed at expanding digital services, strengthening fintech, edtech, healthtech, govtech and cloud solutions, driving joint innovation projects and supporting startup exchange and enterprise growth.

“Nigeria remains fully committed to enabling a more harmonised, secure and innovative digital region. Our partnership with Sierra Leone is not only a bilateral engagement it is part of a broader vision to ensure that technology, talent and trade flow seamlessly across our continent,” said Tijani. “Together, we are laying the foundations for a digital economy that empowers our young people and creates shared prosperity.”

Bah welcomed the cooperation, emphasising its potential to accelerate Sierra Leone’s digital transformation and highlighting the importance of building on the shared history between the two countries to drive the continent’s digital economy.

The mission placed particular emphasis on private-sector collaboration, demonstrated by the participation of leading Nigerian technology companies including IHS Towers, Flutterwave, CcHUB, Miden, Cybervergent, Prunedge, Itana and Awarri. Their engagement with Sierra Leonean counterparts through structured B2B matchmaking sessions underscored Nigeria’s depth of innovation capacity and commitment to fostering regional investment flows while stimulating cross-border partnerships, digital infrastructure development and knowledge exchange.

The Nigerian delegation included key agency heads from the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, among them director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi; Managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju; National coordinator of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Dr. Olubunmi Ajala and National coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation, Victoria Fabunmi.

The successful mission marked a major step in strengthening bilateral digital cooperation and advancing shared goals of regional integration, innovation and sustainable economic growth across West Africa.


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